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shall  contain  tha  symbol  ^^  (maaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  V  (maaning  "END"), 
whichavar  applias. 


L'axamplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grica  A  la 
gAnArosit*  da: 

NcCni  University 
Islaalc  Studies  Library 
Montreal 

Las  imagas  suivantas  ont  *t*  raproduitss  svsc  Is 
plus  grand  soin.  compts  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattat*  da  l'axamplaira  film*,  at  sn 
conformity  avac  laa  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Laa  axamplairaa  originaux  dont  la  couvartu  ra  an 
papiar  aat  imprim^a  sont  fiimAs  an  commandant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darniira  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprsinta 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  sacond 
plat,  salon  la  caa.  Tous  las  autras  axamplairas 
originaux  sont  fiimta  an  commandant  par  la 
pramiAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'impraasion  ou  d'illustration  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  darniira  paga  qui  comporta  una  taila 
amprainta. 

Un  das  symbolaa  suivants  spparaftra  sur  la 
darniira  imaga  da  chaqua  microfiche,  salon  la 
cas:  la  symbols  -^  signifia  "A  SUIVRE",  la 
symbols  ▼  signifia  "FIN". 


Mapa,  platas,  charts,  ate,  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarant  raduction  ratios.  Thosa  too  larga  to  ba 
antiraly  includad  in  ona  axposura  an  filmad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  laft  hand  cornar,  laft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  framas  as 
raquirad.  Tha  following  diagrams  illustrata  tha 
mathod: 


Las  cartas,  planchas,  tablaaux,  ate,  psuvant  dtrs 
filmte  A  das  taux  da  riduction  diffArents. 
Lorsqua  la  documant  ast  trop  grand  pour  Atra 
raproduit  an  un  saul  clichA,  il  ast  film*  A  partir 
da  I'angla  supAriaur  gaucha,  da  gaucha  A  droits. 
at  da  haut  an  bas,  an  pranant  la  nombra 
d'imagas  nAcsssaira.  Las  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrant  la  mAthoda. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

MICIOCOPV   RESOLUTION   TIST   CHART 

(ANSI  and  (SO  TEST  CHART  No   21 


A    APPLIED  IIVHGE 


'653   East    Uam   street 

Rochester.    Ne.   York         U609       US* 

C'l6)   48?  -  0300  -  Phone 

(716)  288  -  59B9  -  fat 


TWENTY  YEARS  IN  PERSIA 


MIS    IMI'I.KIAI.    \I\II>IV.    Mdll  AMMI.n    Al.l     MIKZA, 
SIIAII  Ol-    1'I.UM A. 


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Twenty  Years    in   Persia 

A   Narrative  of  Life  under 
the  Last  Three  Shahs 


By 


7 
Z 


JOHN  G.  WISHARD,  M.A.,  M.D. 

Director  of  the  American  Preibyterian 
Hoipiul,  Teheran 


Nrw  York       Chicago       Toronto 

Fleming    H.   Revell    Company 

London        and         Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1908,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York :  1 58  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago :  80  Wabash  Avenue 
Toronto  :  a?  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London  :  3i  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh :    100  Princes  Street 


ji 


DEDICATION 


To  my  wife,  who,  by  establishing  an 
American  home  in  that  far-away  land, 
greatly  added  to  the  charm  of  our  Oriental 
life,  and  by  her  wise  counsel  and  never-fail- 
ing enthusiasm  potently  aided  every  depart- 
ment of  our  work. 


CONTENTS 

chapter  paob 

Introduction 9 

I.    The   Kurd   and   His   Nestorian    Neighbour      15 
II.    Among  the  Bandits  and  Brigands  of  Kur- 
distan    27 

III.  Conditions  of  Life  along  the  Turco-Persian 

Frontier 46 

IV.  On  to  Teheran 72 

V.    The  Shah's  Capital 83 

VI.    The  Environs  of  Teheran      .        .        .        .102 
VII.    Tabriz  and  the  Western  Province  .119 

VIII.      KUM,    SULTANABAD,  and  HaMADAN    .  .  .127 

—  IX.    Persian  Topography  and  Its  Influence  on 

the  People 140 

,„—  X.    Conclrning  the  Languages,   Religions,  and 

Philosophies  of  Persia        .        .        .        .     IS3 

XI.    Ltfe  among  the  Upper  and  Better  Classes    177 

-^  XII.    Life  among  the  Lower  Classes     .        .        .196 

XIII.  Medical  Missions  in  Persia  ....     216 

XIV.  American  Missions  and  Social  Reforms  in 

Persia 236 

-  XV.    Commerce,  Industries,  and  Laws  .        .        .255 

XVI.    The  Persian  Government      .        .        .        .279 

XVII.    The   Assassination   of    Nasr-ed-Din    Shah    300 

XVIII.    Muzaffah-ed-Din    Shah,  and  the  Constitu- 
tion        307 

XIX.    Mohammed  Alt  Mirza,  Shab,  and  Political 

Reforms  in  Persia 319 

XX.    Tbb  Reform  Movement 330 

5 


f 


I 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FiCIIfO 
PAOK 

His  Imperial  Majesty,  Mohammed  Ali  Mirza,  Shah 

OF  Persia "pjtjg 

A  Natoral  Phet:    .£non,  often  Seen  in  Mesopotamia     20 

A  Kurdish  Woman 40 

A  Kurdish  Wedding  Dance 50 

A  Persian  Grocer -q 

American  Presbyterian  Hospital,  Teheran        .        .      72 

Royal  Gardens,  Teheran gg 

Bagh-e-Srah gg 

A  Typical  Persian  Town  of  the  Highlands         .        .    iia 

A  Persian  Train 1,2 

Ruins  of  the  Blue  Mosque  at  Tabriz  ....  122 
The  Inscriptions  in  Persian,  Median,  and  Babylonian 

AT  the  Ganj-Nomeh,  near  Hamadan      .        .        .136 
Tomb  op  the  Poet  Omar  Khayyam      .        .        .        .150 

A  Persian  Theatre jeg 

Indoor  Costume  of  Persian  Women  ....  194 
Street  Costume  of  Persian  Women  ....  194 
A  Persian  Hakim's  (Doctor's)  Establishment  .  .  198 
Tea  Time  in  a  Mission  Hospital        .        .        .        .218 

The  Pavilion  for  Women 224 

The    American     Presbyterian    Hospital,    Teheran. 

Physician's  Residence 224 

First  Modern  Surgery  in  Teheran       .        .        .        .234 

Saturday  Morning  Clinic 240 

7 


8      LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACINO 
PAGE 

The  American  Colony  at  the  Dedication  or  the  Fibst 

Hospital  for  Women  at  Teheran     ....    254 
Some  of  the  Persian  Constabulary     ....    374 

The  Crown  Prince  of  Persia 280 

Nasr-ed-Din  Shah 300 

Muzaffar-ed-Din 308 

Five  Thousand  Priests,  Merchants,  and  Artisans 
Marching  to  the  British  Legation,  Teheran,  for 
Refuge   at   the   Beginning   of   Persia's    Political 

Troubles  in  1906 314 

The  Late  Prime  Minister  of  Persia,  Attabeg  Emin-e- 

SuLTAN 324 

Members  of  the  First  Parliament  from  the  Province 

OF  Teheran 334 

The  Great  Shrine  at  KOm  ..»,...    334 
Map  of  Persia      .       .       ..       .:       «      »       »       ,344 


;? 

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i 
I 


INTRODUCTION 


PERSIA  is  not  on  any  of  the  beaten  paths 
familiar  to  "round  the  world "  travellers, 
and,  consequently,  has  been  visited  by  com- 
paratively few  Americans.  We  have  no  way  of 
knowing  exactly  the  number  of  citizens  of  the  Great 
Republic  who  have  visited  Iran,  but,  exclusive  of 
children  born  in  Persia  of  American  parentage,  the 
number  is  under  rather  than  above  three  hundred. 
The  description  of  any  land  visited  by  less  than 
four  out  of  a  million  of  our  citizens  cannot  be  said 
to  be  very  well  known,  and  ought  to  present  some 
interesting  phases  of  life  from  many  standpoints. 
This  is  especially  true  of  Persia  when  we  remem- 
ber her  long  and  honourable  history,  her  learning 
and  civilisation,  that  date  back  almost  to  the  begin- 
ning of  time  and  that  have  been  hidden  for  centu- 
ries from  the  Western  World. 

The  recent  potentially  mighty  changes  in  the  po- 
litical, social,  and  economic  life  of  the  nation  have 
served  to  call  the  attention  of  readers  anew  to  that 
interesting  land  where  some  of  the  sweetest  poets 
have  sung;  from  whence  have  sprung  some  of  the 
world's  greatest  armies — the  land  of  the  Fire- 
Worshipper  and  the  Sun.     It  is  especially  inter- 


r'?:^?'? 


10 


INTRODUCTION 


esting  to  us  as  the  place  from  which  the  white  race 
sprang.  Its  name  is  known  in  the  Persian  language 
as  Iran,  pronounced  E-roii,  which  is  from  Arya, 
hence  the  Aryan  races, 

Persia  has  been  hidden  largely  from  the  world 
by  her  geographical  position.    Had  siie  been  on  any 
of  the  great  highways  of  travel,  slic  could  not  have 
remained  in  apathy,  as  she  has  done  for  centuries 
past.      Commercially,    her   northern    and    eastern 
boundaries  have  been  jealously  guarded  by  Russia; 
while  the  entrance  from  Trebizond  means  a  long, 
dangerous  caravan   journey   through   one   of  the 
wildest    parts    of    eastern    Turkey.      The    route 
through  the  Gulf  takes  one  to  the  southern  prov- 
inces; but   these  are  separated   from  the  Capital 
and  more  important  centres  by  high  mountains,  and 
by  burning  deserts,  which  can  be  crossed  only  by 
the  slow-moving  caravan.     There  are,  as  yet,  but 
six  miles  of  railroad  in  the  country  in  operation, 
running  from  Teheran  to  Shah-Abdul-Azim. 

The  present  work  is  based  upon  three  journeys 
to  the  Orient,  and,  as  will  be  apparent  to  the  reader, 
miyht  really  have  been  divided  into  two  parts, 
namely,  the  first  three  chapters  treating  of  experi- 
ences in  the  wildest  regions  of  Kurdistan,  and  the 
remaining  seventeen  dealing  with  Persia  as  a  whole. 
The  reader  will  easily  follow  the  plan  by  referring 
to  tlie  map.  The  notes  from  which  the  different 
chapters  have  been  written  have  been  carefully  re- 
vised, and,  as  far  as  jxissible,  verified.     While  the 


1 

5 


INTRODUCTION 


11 


size  of  the  volume  is  nio<lest,  mistakes  will  doubtless 
be  found,  and  for  these  tlie  author  begs  the  readers' 
iiKhilgence.  No  attempt  has  been  made  to  produce 
a  b(H)k  of  literary  value,  the  purpose  of  the  writer 
beinp  to  jjive  an  interpretation  of  the  lives  of  the 
Persian  people,  as  well  as  a  description  of  their 
country.  There  is  no  profession  that  gives  the  same 
opportunity  to  see  life  in  the  Orient,  as  it  really  is, 
like  that  of  medicine.  The  doctor  is  called  into  the 
homes  of  the  rich  and  the  poor  alike;  into  the 
harem,  as  well  as  into  the  business  offices,  and  the 
opium  dens  in  the  bazaar.  If  the  author  has  failed 
to  present  an  interesting  study  of  this  kaleidoscopic 
Oriental  life,  it  has  been  because  the  lips  of  the 
pliysician  must  remain  in  large  measure  sealed. 
Obviously,  the  writer  would  much  rather  present 
a  tame  story  than  divulge  information  gained 
through  professional  confidences. 

Quotations  will  doubtless  be  found  in  the  book, 
possibly,  from  articles  by  the  author  in  The  Inde- 
pendent, the  Nnv  York  Herald,  The  Interior,  Her- 
ald and  Presbyter,  Indianapolis  Ncivs,  Christian 
Endeavor  World,  and  other  periodicals,  that 
should  be  acknowledged  here,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  the  quotations  are  slight,  and,  in  nearly 
every  instance,  have  been  re-written. 

No  special  system  of  spelling  has  been  followed, 
though,  when  possible,  the  usual  one  has  been 
chosen.  Whenever  a  Persian  word  has  been  used, 
the  equivalent  in  English  has  also  been  given;  hence 


IS 


INTRODUCTION 


tlie  si)clHng  and  pronunciation  do  not  matter  so 
much  after  all. 

All  unnecessary  criticism  has  been  avoided.  Ik- 
causc  such  things  rarely  do  good,  and  nearly  always 
do  harm.  Besides,  the  author  considers  it  a  privilege 
to  say  that  he  counts  many  friends  among  the 
Persians;  friends  who  have  stood  by  him  through 
sunshine  and  shadow,  through  sorrow  and  gladness, 
and  it  would  have  been  ungracious  in  him  to  make 
criticisms  on  their  manner  of  life  nnd  thought. 

The  American  Hospital  in  Teheran,  which  the 
author  had  the  honour  and  privilege  of  founding  and 
conducting  for  many  years,  is  considered  i)y  the 
Persians  as  one  of  their  own  institutions,  and  its 
philanthropies  are  of  such  a  character  that  men  of 
every  creed  can  have  a  part  in  it,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  it  is  a  distinctively  Christian  establish- 
ment.   Last  year,  the  first  hospital  for  women  in  the 
Shah's  Capital  was  built  by  us,  the  funds  being 
given  by  a  Mohammedan  lady  of  high  rank  inter- 
ested in  the  welfare  of  her  sisters.    If  some  com- 
ments on  existing  systems  seem  to  border  on  crit- 
icism, the  airthor  begs  to  say  that  they  are  the  faith- 
ful reproofs  of  a  friend.    He  has  little  patience  with 
the  flippant  criticisms  that  are  so  freely  indulged  in 
by  some  Westerners  when  discussing  Persia  and  her 
problems.    It  is  a  time  for  those  who  love  Iran  to 
rally  to  her  support. 

The  author  has  to  thank  several  good  friends  who 
have  been  kind  enough  to  look  over  the  present 


INTRODUCTION 


18 


manuscript,  as  well  as  to  offer  suggestions  that  hsive 
proven  helpful.  He  thanks  also  the  Librarian  of 
the  University  of  VVooster,  for  kindly  permitting 
free  access  to  the  valuable  collection  of  books  at  the 
Universit>  touching  upon  travel  and  life  throughout 
the  Orient.  The  volume  has  been  written  during 
a  holiday  spent  in  Wooster — that  delightful  Ohio 
town—  juring  1908. 


TWENTY  YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


THE  KURD  AND  HIS  NESTORIAN 
NEIGHBOUR 

ON  either  side  of  the  Turco-Persian  frontier, 
far  removed  from  the  powers  that  rule 
at  Constantinople  and  Teheran,  there  is 
a  vast  region,  some  three  hundred  miles  long  and 
two  hundred  miles  wide,  called  Kurdistan.  Physi- 
cally, it  is  one  of  the  roughest  countries  in  the 
world,  and  seems  a  fit  abode  for  the  rough,  wild, 
and  lawless  tribes  that  prefer  a  home  with  liberty 
and  self-government  in  the  barren  mountains,  to  a 
habitation  on  the  fertile  plain  within  easy  reach  of 
the  ever-present  Turkish  and  Persian  tax-gatherer. 
The  boundary  of  this  vast  region  is  not  well  de- 
fined, except  on  the  west,  where  the  Tigris  River 
separates  it  from  Mesopotamia.  On  the  east  and 
southeast,  the  towering  mountains  so  gradually 
grow  into  foothills  that  one  can  hardly  tell  where 
the  mountains  cease  and  the  high  plateaux  that  soon 
spread  out,  to  become  later  the  fertile  plains  of 
that  part  of  Persia,  begin.  The  term  "  stan,"  as 
used  by  the  Oriental,  simply  means  abode  or  coun- 
ts 


16     TWENTY    YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

try.  Kurdistan,  then,  means  the  abode  of  the  Kurds- 
Arabistan,  the  land  of  the  Arabs;  and  Frankistan! 
the  home  of  the  Franks  or  Europeans.     Kurdis- 
tan may  well  be  said  to  be  the  home  of  the  Kurd; 
indeed,  he  is  at  home  nowhere  else.    His  very  char- 
acter seems  to  have  partaken  of  the  ruggedness 
of  the  mountain  crag.    To  him  no  artist  has  ever 
painted  the  beauty  of  the  mountain  as  nature  has 
painted  it.     The  palace  and  fortress  of  the  Euro- 
pean are  to  him  only  an  imitation  of  what  nature 
has  done  for  his  clan  in  raising  the  high  mountain 
walls  to  protect  his  people,  from  an  invasion  by 
the  Turks  on  the  west   ,ind  from  the  Persians  on 
the  east.    The  very  word  government  to  him  is  dis- 
tasteful, and  is  the  synonym  for  oppression.     An 
eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,  is  the  only 
law  that  he  respects.    Anything  less  than  this,  in  his 
judgment,  is  weakness. 

The  language  of  the  Kurds  is  a  dialect  of  the 
Persian,  but  in  writing  they  use  the  Arabic    the 
tongue  of  the  Koran.     The  difficulty  in  translating 
any  books  into  Kurdish  has  been  that  the  tongues 
of  the  different  tribes  widely  differ.    However,  the 
Scriptures  have  been  translated  into  tiie  more  com- 
mon dialects,  but  until  schools  are  established  no 
one  can   read   them,  except  the   few  leaders  who 
are  all  devout   Mohammedans,   and   naturally  are 
not  anxious  to  have  these  books  gain  favour  with 
the  people.     Another  thing  that  has  retarded  the 
circulation  of  the  Scriptures  and  other  books  among 


THE   KURD  AND   NESTOHIAN    17 

them,   has  been  their  hatred   of  their   Nestorian 
neighbours. 

The  mountain  Nestorians  number  not  more  than 
two  hundred  thousand,  wliile  the  Kurds,  probably, 
are  not  less  than  two  millions.     The  Nestorians  are 
a  part  of  the  Apostolic  Christian  Church,  while  the 
Kurds  are  all  Mohammedans.     The  Kurds  were 
there  when   Xenophon   passed   through   with   his 
hosts,  and  we  read  that  they  amused  themselves 
casting  down  large  stones  upon  the  heads  of  tlie 
Greeks.    After  some  experiences  that  I  had  among 
these  sawt  people,  which  I  sliall  relate  further  on  in 
this   hot .,    I   have   always   had   a   good    deal    of 
sympathy  for  the  followers  of  the  ambitious  Greek. 
As  some  writers  have  pointed  out,  there  is  a  charm 
about  the  rugged  character  of  the  Kurd,  but  it  is 
the  sort  of  charm  that  one  feels  when  one  meets 
with  a  lion.     If  restrained,  the  Kurd  is  no  doubt 
greatly. to  be  admired,  but  the  bravest  will  give  him 
plenty  of  room  when  meeting  him  in  the  lonely 
mountain  road. 

The  mountain  Nestorians  are  now  little  better 
than  the  Kurds,  except  those  who  have  been  touched 
by  the  influence  of  the  missionaries.  Some  of  these 
Kurds  are  men  of  deep,  simple  piety,  often  enduring 
severe  persecution  from  their  less  enlightened  neigh- 
bours. \Mien  we  remember  their  history,  it  is  not 
strange  that  the  mass  of  the  people  are  slow  to 
recognise  the  friendly  hand  of  help  offered  to  them 
by  the  Christian  Church  in  America  and  England. 


^^ 


18    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

They  were  a  strong,  prosperous  people  before  the 
Mohammedans  overran  Asia,  Hving  on  the  plains 
of  Assyria,  sustaining  schools  and  colleges,  whose 
students  carried  to  China,  and  throughout  India, 
probably,  the  first  message  telling  that  the  Messiah 
had  come.     The  Rev.  Thomas  Laurie,  in  his  life 
of  Dr.  Asahel  Grant,  the  first  American  medical 
missionary  labouring  in  Persia,  says,  "  In  China  a 
writer   (S.   VV.   Williams,  of  Canton)   thinks  the 
Nestonans    were    found    as    early    as    505    ad 
Olopun  was  Bishop  of  Nanking  in  636,  and  there 
was  a  metropolitan  in  Peking  in  714.     In  earlier 
tmies,  there  were  two  metropolitan  sees  in  China; 
one  called  Chambaluch,  or  Chanbalek   (Peking)' 
and  the  other  Panchet,  or  Tanghut.    But  these  were 
united  in  1268.    In  1625,  a  Chinese  inscription  was 
discovered  at  Si-ngan-Fu,  in  one  of  the  western 
provinces,  which  had  been  erected  by  Nestorians  in 
781  (some  say  in  782),  giving  an  account  of  the 
Christian  religion,  and  a  list  of  ecclesiastics  who  had 
laboured  in  China.    The  missionary  efforts  of  the 
Nestorians  in  China  seem  to  have  ceased  about  the 
time  of  the  expulsion  of  the  Moguls,  in  1369;  and 
after  that  time  they  gradually  declined.    It  has  gen- 
erally been  supposed  that  all  traces  of  their  labours 
have  been  obliterated  in  China;  but  a  missionary  in 
Ningix),  which  is  on  the  coast,  a  little  south  of 
east  from  Si-ngan-Fu,  writes  that  'a  respectable 
stranger  from  one  of  the  western  provinces  came  to 
our  chapel,  and  listened  with  much  attention.  After 


THE  KURD  AND  NESTORIAN    19 

service,  he  said  that  he  and  his  ancestors  worshipped 
only  one  God,  the  Creator.  He  knew  of  Moses  and 
Jesus  and  Mary ;  said  he  was  not  a  Romanist  or  a 
Mohammedan,  neither  had  he  seen  our  books;  but 
that  the  doctrine  was  handed  down  from  his  ances- 
tors for  many  generations.  He  said  that  in  his 
native  place  thirty  families  are  of  the  same  religion, 
who  had  books,  but  did  not  circulate  them.'  " 

The  decline  of  these  missionary  labours  of  the 
Nestorians  in  China  at  this  early  date  was  not  due 
altogether  to  disturbances  in  the  Celestial  Empire, 
as  some  writers  seem  to  think,  but  rather  to  the 
Mohammedan  hosts  which  swept  across  Asia  Minor 
and  forced  the  Assyrians  from  their  homes  into  the 
wild  recesses  of  the  Kurdish  mountains — thus  cut- 
ting off  the  very  source  of  Christian  civilisation 
that  had  entered  the  Celestial  Empire.    Nisibis,  with 
its  beautiful  gardens,  fertile  plains,  and  productive 
vineyards  surrounding  the  college  and  monastery, 
the  pride  of  the  Nestorian  nation,  was  destroyed. 
Instead  of  the  Angelus  bell  was  heard  the  Mullah's 
cry,  "  God  is  God  and  Mohammed  is  His  prophet." 
When  I  visited  the  place,  a  few  years  ago,  there  was 
little  to   indicate   its   former  greatness.      A    few 
gardens  and  tumbled-down  houses,  a  dirty  bazaar 
filled  with  Arab  traders,  was  about  all  that  could  be 
seen.    We  came  into  the  town  just  at  noon,  and  we 
were  glad  to  find  protection  from  the  July  sun  in  a 
little  grove  on  the  river  Chebar,  just  west  of  the 
tow  ..    The  day  was  terrifically  hot,  and  both  our 


20    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

men  and  beasts  spent  much  of  the  afternoon  in  the 
stream  trying  to  keep  cool. 

Along  this  river  had  been  the  home  of  the  Cap- 
tives at  the  time  of  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  and  here  he 
had  his  wonderful  vision  I  have  observed  that  one 
may  yet  occasionally  see  in  that  region  the  natural 
phenomenon  upon  which  it  was  based.  The  intense 
heat  and  dust  causes  the  air  to  fill  with  small  par- 
ticles of  sand  until  everything  takes  on  a  hazy  ap- 
pearance. This  increases  until  the  coming  of  a 
wind  storm,  a  sort  of  sirocco  that  blows  for  three 
days,  which  somewhat  clears  the  atmosphere.  Not 
infrequently  there  comes  with  it  the  "  whirlwind," 
from  the  "  north."  that  causes  these  dust  clouds  to 
form  into  semicircles  across  the  sky,  through 
which  the  sun  bursts  with  wonderful  beauty  and 
brightness,  giving  the  exact  picture  presented  by  the 
prophet  of  "  a  wheel  in  the  middle  of  a  wheel,"  a 
great  cloud,  and  a  fire  enfolding  itself.  It  is  not 
hard  to  fancy  in  these  cloud-pictures  the  forms  of 
"living  creatures,"  "with  wings."  and  with  all 
sorts  of  curious  faces.  The  colour  is  all  there,  as  told 
in  the  first  chapter  of  Ezekiel ;  the  scene  is  one  of 
extraordinary  grandeur  and  sublimity,  and  it  is  not 
hard  for  those  who  have  witnessed  it  to  understand 
why  the  prophet  chose  it  as  a  symbol  through 
which  to  interpret  some  of  the  revelation  of  his 
prophecy.  Even  the  stoical  Arab  stops  his  car?.van 
to-day  to  take  notice  when  the  heaven^  are  thus 
overcast.    To  the  Captives,  who  were  of  all  people 


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THE  KURD  AND  NESTORlAN 


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the  most  religious,  this  phenomenon  was  as  direct 
a  revelation  as  the  mighty  spiritual  words  of  the 
prophet. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  Apostolic  Church  sent 
missionaries  into  the  region  at  an  early  period. 
Schools  of  medicine,  law,  and  theology  were  estab- 
lished, and  the  doctrines  of  the  early  Church  were 
publicly  proclaimed  in  the  streets.  Commercially, 
the  people  were  prosperous,  and  the  products  of  the 
fertile  plain  about  them  found  profitable  markets  in 
the  towns  and  cities  along  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates 
rivers.  But  it  was  as  a  seat  of  Christian  learning 
and  culture  that  Nisibis  was  best  known.  The 
people  were  at  that  time  followers  of  the  arts  of 
peace,  but  circumstances  seemed  to  force  them  to 
learn  the  savage  practices  of  war.  They  were  the 
followers  of  the  lowly  Nazarene,  the  vanguard  of 
Christianity,  even  as  far  as  into  China,  but  for  these 
things  the  world  does  not  seem  to  have  been  ready. 
Had  the  near  East  accepted  the  "  Doctrine,"  as  it 
was  called,  the  seat  of  learning,  power,  and  finance 
might  have  been  there  to-day,  instead  of  in  Europe 
and  the  New  World. 

When  the  Mohammedans  came  down  on  Nisibis 
and  that  region,  the  Christians  fled  toward  the 
Tigris,  some  building  rafts,  on  which  they  sought 
shelter  under  the  shadow  of  their  co-religionists  in 
Bagdad,  while  others  crossed  the  river  and  found 
safety  and  freedom  in  the  mountains  among  the 
savage   Kurds.     Later,   the  then   heathen   Kurds 


2«    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

accepted  the  religion  of  their  Arab  neighbours,  and 
thus  the  Nestorian  Church  was  isolated  from  the 
West.    In  Kurdistan,  they  had  found  homes  in  the 
narrow   valleys   and    deep   ravines    between   high 
ranges  of  mountains.     At  first  their  one  thought 
was  to  return  again  to  the  plain  and  re-establish 
'e.r   ost  possessions,  but  after  a  few  generations 
their  former  civilisation  was  largely  forgotten  and 
many  of  the  sons  preferred  the  wild  life  of  the 
mountaineer  to  the  stuffy  halls  of  the  monastery. 
They  had  now  learned  the  savage  art  of  war,  and 
their  history  from  that  period  on  has  been  one  of 
warfare,  often  most  cruel  and  disastrous 

There  was  left,  however,  a  scholastic  remnant 
that  kept  ahve.  to  a  degree,  the  traditions  and  teach- 
ings of  their  once  famous  ancestors.     They  built 
monasteries  wherever  practicable,  and  when  this 
was  not  possible,  because  of  their  Kurdish  neigh- 
bours, they  sought  for  themselves  shelter  in  caves 
and   in   these   secluded   places   they   copied    their 
ancient    Syriac    Scriptures   and   manuscripts,    and 
taught  a  hmited  number  of  boys  to  read.    As  the 
re  ugees  increased  in  number,  they  entered  other 
valleys,  and  as  often  as  possible  did  to  the  Kurds 
Jtist  what  the  Arabs  and  Tartars  had  done  for  them 
down  on  the  plain  at  Nisibis.  driving  them  from 
their  homes  and  killing  as  many  as  possible.    It  was 
a  struggle  for  life  with  numbers  and  all  the  odds 
agamst  the  Christians.    As  new  communities  sprung 
up,   isolated    from   all   sympathy,   surrounded   by 


•^"■"^"i-lhitltewli 


THE  KURD  AND  NESTORIAN    28 

hostile,  savage  tribes,  the  moral  decline  of  the  people 
was  inevitable. 

Their  proud  spirit,  however,  has  never  been 
broken.  I  remember  once  coming  into  one  of 
tiiese  little  communities  and  being  the  guest  of 
the  village  priest.  He  told  me  that  he  had  read 
every  book  in  the  world.  I  asked  him  how  many 
books  he  thought  there  were  in  the  world.  He 
replied  that  there  were  three,  and  then  he  proceeded 
to  exhibit  his  library  with  great  pride.  In  another 
village  I  found  only  one  book,  but  the  priest  had 
made  the  most  of  that,  for  he  had  three  pupils.  In 
teaching  these  three  boys  the  book  was  placed  on 
the  floor  in  front  of  the  monk,  a  boy  at  the  right, 
another  on  the  left,  and  one  at  the  top  of  the  book 
facing  the  teacher.  This  latter  one  had  learned  to 
read  with  the  book  upside  down,  and  he  said  that  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  he  could  read  the  book  in 
any  other  position. 

The  lesson  of  frugality  is  severely  taught  from 
childhood.  In  some  places  the  resources  of  a  whole 
village  are  not  more  than  the  amount  spent  by  a 
family  living  quite  modestly  in  America.  The  soil 
for  the  small  patches  of  cultivated  ground  that  are 
terraced  up  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  is  often 
brought  long  distances  on  the  backs  of  women. 
Many  of  the  districts  have  no  horses  or  mules.  In- 
deed, the  horse  would  e  quite  useless  in  climbing 
the  steep  mountains,  and  mules  are  too  expensive 
for  them.    A  mountain  Nestorian  is  too  proud  to 


«4    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

ncJe  a  donkey.  My  travelling  co.npan.on  once  had 
with  him  a  horse,  and  on  several  occasions  it  wa* 
necessary  to  swing  him  in  ropes  in  order  to  get  him 
over  some  of  the  narrow  and  dangerous  places. 

The  fie  ds  are  given   up  to   rice  and   tobacco, 
chiefly,  ahhough  some  millet  is  grown.     There  are 
groves  of  olives  in  the  warmer  valleys.     Upon  the 
..lis  roam  the  flocks  that  not  only  furnish  meat,  but 
the  wof.1  for  their  homespun  clothing.    They     <e 
their  own  gunpowder,  and  all  go  heavily  armed. 
Life  ,s  cheap  and  the  murderer  often  goes  unpun- 
.sl.ed.    Why  should  life  not  be  cheap  when  there  is 
so  httle  to  hve  for?    Besides,  it  is  easy  to  cross  the 
frontier  and  escape  if  pursued. 

In  every  village  there  is  a  priest  to  solemnise 
marriages  bury  the  dead.  and.  on  Easter  and  other 
feasts  read  the  ritual  of  the  Church.    I  do  not  think 
1  found  many  priests  tiiat  understood  the  ancient 
b>T,ac.  the  language  of  their  church  ritual,  at  least 
sufi^cently  well  to  make  a  decent  translation  into 
the  modern  language.    Indeed,  most  of  them  haH  ^o 
more  idea  of  what  they  repeated  as  prayers  than 
hey  would  have  had,  had  it  been  English.     Scat- 
tered   through   the   mountains   are   a   number   of 
bjshops  exercising   more   or   less  authority,   and. 
above  all.  the  Patriarch. 

VVe  visited  the  latter  once,  the  father  of  the  pres- 
ent  head  of  that  Church,  at  Kochanes.  This  vil- 
lage.  not  far  from  the  Turkish  government  post  of 
Julamerk.  has  been  the  home  of  the  Patriarch  for 


THE   KURD   AND   NF.STORIAN    25 


I 


many  years.     It  consists  of  a  church  built  on  the 
verge  of  a  precipice,  surrounde<l  hy  a  large  number 
of  graves,  the  home  of  the  Pairiarch  being  sur- 
rounded by  those  of  his  attendants  and  relatives.     A 
more  picturesque  and  charming  spot  could  not  have 
Itecn  chosen  by  those  who  had  been  ordained  to  Im: 
tlie  spiritual  hea<l  of  the  Nestorian  people.     When ' 
we  were  there  the  waving  grain  had  not  yet  been 
harvested.     The  Kurds,  from  whom  they  always 
fear  an  attack,  were  away  for  the  summer  witli 
their  flocks,  in  the  high  meadows  of  the  mountain, 
and  so  we  were  allowed  to  pitch  our  tents  in  tlie 
grove  near  the  Patriarchate.     We  were  told  that 
this  was  not  always  safe,  although  the  grove  was 
but  a  few  yards  from  the  village. 

Life  at  this  ecclesiastical  and  political  Nestorian 
centre  is  full  of  interest.  The  Patriarch  is  respon- 
sible to  the  Turkish  Government  for  the  conduct  of 
the  diflfercnt  tribes,  and  for  this  he  receives  a  salary. 
The  chiefs  are  appointed  by  him.  and  this,  of  itself, 
is  enough  to  produce  all  sorts  of  intrij^ues  and  jeal- 
ousies. There  are  daily  reports  from  the  various 
districts  brought  by  messengers.  These  are  usually 
filled  with  accounts  of  attacks  by  the  Kurds,  besides 
all  sorts  of  schemings,  and  an  endless  tale  of  savage 
wretchedness. 

Our  call  upon  this  Catholicos  of  the  East  was  full 
of  interest.  We  found  him  a  man  from  forty-five 
to  fifty  years  of  age,  polite  and  cordial  in  his  bear- 
ing, anxious  that  our  visit  should  be  pleasant,  and 


26    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

he  freely  discussed  the  material  and  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  his  people  with  my  companion,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Coan  The  fact  that  Dr.  Coan's  parents  were 
among  the  early  missionaries  to  this  people  no 
doubt  gave  him  an  entree  at  the  Patriarchate,  even 
more  cordial  than  others  might  expect.  This  was 
as  ,t  should  be,  as  these  early  American  Christian 
ambassadors  rendered  a  great  service  to  his  people 


ivel- 
iev. 
r^ere 
no 
ven 
ivas 
ian 
ale. 


a 


n 

AMONG    THE    BANi  ITS    AND 
OF    KLMEISTAN 


iiRIGANDS 


THE  American  Mission  to  these  alien  races 
in  West  Persia  was  established  in  1835,  at 
the  request  of  the  people  themselves.  Re- 
peated attempts  have  since  been  made  to  do  for  the 
tribes  in  the  Kurdish  mountains  what  has  been  done 
for  the  people  on  the  Persian  side  of  the  mountains, 
on  the  fertile  plain  around  Lake  Urumia.  Dr. 
Grant,  a  medical  missionary,  established  himself  in 
the  heart  of  the  mountains  as  early  as  1840,  and 
laboured  for  several  years  with  a  great  degree  of 
success.  No  doubt  the  mission  would  have  been 
permanent  had  not  a  war  between  the  Nestorians 
and  the  Kurds  resulted  in  the  forcing  of  Dr.  Grant 
to  withdraw  to  Mosul,  where  he  contracted  fever 
and  died.  He  had  strongly  pointed  out  to  the  Nes- 
torians that  a  war  with  the  overwhelming  number 
of  Kurds  could  have  but  one  result — the  complete 
defeat  of  the  Giristians.  He  also  laboured  with  the 
Kurds  and  Turks,  and  tried  in  every  way  to  save 
the  Nestorian  women  and  children  from  slaughter, 
but  with  no  avail.  The  Kurds,  when  they  came 
down  on  the  Nestorian  villages,  showed  no  mercy, 

87 


ii 


28    TWENTY   YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

for  it  was  a  religious  war,  and  hundreds  of  the  men 
were  killed,  while  women  were  carried  away  as 
slaves  to  the  harems.    We  had  pointed  out  to  us  one 
place  where  even  this  fate  was  denied  the  helpless 
A  large  number  of  the  aged  men,   women,  and 
children  had  sought  refuge  in  a  cave  high  up  in  the 
mountains  overlooking  a  deep  ravine.     By  some 
means  the  Kurds  became  aware  of  the  presence  of 
those  who  had  scaied  the  rock,  and  cast  them  into  the 
ravine,  a  thousand  feet  deep.     None  escaped,  and 
when  I  visited  the  place,  fifty  years  later,  the  bones 
of  those  who  had  been  massacred  could  be  found  in 
this  valley  of  death. 

Embittered  by  having  to  reap  the  fruit  of  their 
own  folly,  with  their  homes  and  fields  destroyed  the 
pe.jple,  greatly  reduced,  returned  after  the  Kurds 
had  gone,  to  begin  life  anew.     The  American  Pres- 
byterian Mission  in  Urumia— ever  ready  to  help 
them— has  continued  ever  since  a  more  or  less  close 
relationship  with  them.    Th<     helped  them  to  estab- 
lish schools,  educated  mountain  boys  for  teachers 
and  preachers,  treated  their  wounded  and  sick  in 
tiieir  hospitals,  and  in  times  of  famine  assisted  them 
with  grain  and  money. 

Several  years  ago,  at  the  urgent  request  of 
one  of  the  strongest  Nestorian  chiefs  and  his  people 
.t  was  thought  best  to  attempt  again  the  location 
of  a  mission  station  in  Tiary.  near  where  Dr.  Grant 
had  laboured,  one  of  the  wildest  and  most  rugged 
districts  in  all  Kurdistan.    The  difficulties  of  such 


BANDITS   AND    BRIGANDS     29 

an  undertaking  need  only  be  enumerated  to  be 
understood.  The;  c  was  no  mail  service  closer  than 
Mosul,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  away. 
There  was  not  a  market  in  the  entire  district,  nor 
was  there  money  with  which  to  buy  anything;  in 
fact,  there  was  nothing  to  trade  or  sell  except  quan- 
tities of  gall-nuts.  The  population  consumed  all  the 
grain  and  vegetables  produced  by  the  little  terraced 
fields  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains.  During  two 
winters  spent  in  the  region  we  often  had  difficulty 
in  procuring  food.  But  this  difficulty  was  of  much 
less  moment  and  caused  us  much  less  anxiety  than 
the  strife  and  feudal  wars,  from  which  we  seemed 
to  be  unable  to  get  away. 

It  seemed  almost  necessary  at  that  time  that  a 
medical  man  should  have  a  part  in  this  new  work, 
and  I,  having  been  asked  to  assist  in  the  undertak- 
ing, proceeded  to  East  Turkey,  where  I  joined  the 
Rev.  E.  \V.  McDowell,  who  had  already  spent 
some  months  looking  up  a  suitable  location  for  the 
establishment  of  the  mission.  This  was  in  the 
winter  of  1888-89,  and  the  journey  had  been  made 
across  Asia  Minor  on  horseback  from  Alexandretta 
on  the  Mediterranean  via  Aleppo,  Diabekir  Mar- 
din,  to  Jezira  on  the  Tigris.  Those  of  my  readers 
who  have  had  the  misfortune  to  have  visited  Alex- 
andretta will  remember  it  as  a  miserably  dirty  Turk- 
ish town  of  perhaps  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants, 
noted  for  its  fever,  and  its  export  of  liquorice-root. 
I  shall  never  forget  a  remark  made  by  a  German 


1 


J 


30    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

who  had  been  told  that  tliis  was  the  traditional  place 
where  Jonah  was  thrown  from  the  whale.     Thi.«- 
German,  after  seeing  the  place,  remarked  that  he 
was  sure  nothing  could  get  near  the  town  without 
the  smells  making  him  sick,  and  he  was  quite  ready 
to  believe  that  this  had  been  the  fate  of  the  whale! 
On  the  steamer  coming  down  from  Constantinople 
I  had  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  Turkish  Pasha, 
who,  with  his  attendants,  was  on  his  way  to  Bag- 
dad, where  he  had  been  appointed  Governor-Gen- 
eral.     He   was   going   first   to    Aleppo,    and    he 
graciously  asked  me  to  join  him.    Being  new  in  the 
country  and  not  knowing  the  ways  of  the  Oriental 
I  gladly  accepted  his  hospitable  offer  and  became 
one  of  his  party.    When  we  were  ready  to  start  next 
morning,  the  rain  of  the  day  before  had  ceased  and 
the  sun  was  shining  bright  and  warm.    He  being  an 
official  of  high  rank,  the  attention  shown  him  at  this 
httle  port  was  marked.    A  number  of  cavalry  were 
detailed  to  escort  us  to  the  next  military  post,  and  a 
brass  band  was  ordered  to  play  us  out  of  town! 
You  can  easily  imagine  what  a  striking  picture  our 
company  formed  out  on  that  great  military  road 
which  leads  into  the  interior;  the  Governor  riding 
alone  in  his  carriage,  then  his  attending  physician 
and  myself  on  horseback,  some  scribes  and  mounted 
police,  all  followed  by  a  load  of  the  Governor's 
wives,  who  were  consigned  to  a  common  jolt  wag- 
gon, with  a  tight-fitting  top  buckled  snugly  down. 
The  distance  I  was  expecting  to  accompany  His 


BANDITS   AND   BRIGANDS     81 

Excellency  was  about  a  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles.  After  starting,  we  were  told  that  the  journey 
would  require  ten  days  !  Notwithstanding  the  dis- 
play of  attention  at  each  place  we  entered,  and  the 
graciousness  of  the  Governor,  I  gave  myself  im- 
mediately to  devising  plans  by  which  I  could  get 
away  from  the  retinue  without  giving  offence. 

An  experience  the  first  night  hastened  my  purpose 
to  get  away.    We  left  the  coast  an  hour  before  noon, 
and  just  at  sundown  we  stopped  at  an  inn  for  the 
night.    Here  I  was  compelled  to  share  a  room  with 
a  Turkish  merchant  who  had  been  up  to  Constanti- 
nople to  buy  goods,  and  although  he  was  a  dealer 
in  drygoods,  I  soon  discovered  that  he  had  with 
him  also  a  good  supply  of  wet  goods,  in  the  form 
of  American  whiskey  and  French  brandy.    After  a 
sleepless  night,  due  to  this  man's  constant  speaking 
in  an  unknown  tongue,  he  assured  me  that  he  would 
be  my  friend  until  death,  as  well  as  my  travelling 
companion  up  to  Aleppo.     This  declaration  of  his 
affection  was  the  last  straw,  and  so,  at  noon  that 
day,  I  told  the  Governor  that  if  he  would  excuse 
me  I  would  take  a  man  who  knew  the  road  and 
with  hired  horses  push  through  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible.    With  true  Oriental  politeness  he  expressed 
his  regret  at  this  decision,  but  insisted  that  I  recon- 
sider the  matter  and  remain  with  them.     Through 
an  interpreter,  he  told  me  that  the  road  over  which 
I  was  going  was  infested  with  robbers.     I  might 
have  reconsidered  my  proposed  plan  of  going  on 


hi 


32    TWENTY    YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

alone  had  not  visions  of  another  night  with  the 
drunken  merchant  risen  up  before  me;  so  I 
motioned  for  the  muleteer  to  bring  up  his  'animals 
and  we  bade  farewell  to  our  friends  and  started  on 
alone. 

We  here  left  the  military  road  for  a  much  shorter 
one   across  the   mountain,   and   had   gone   but   a 
short  distance  when  the  rain  came  down  in  tor- 
rents, making  the  already  muddy  road  almost  im- 
passable.   In  an  hour  and  a  half  the  Orontes  River 
was  reached  and  found  to  be  much  swollen  from  the 
heavy  rains  and  melting  snows.     We  pushed  our 
horses  through  me  deep,  swift  current,  and  by  the 
•niddle    of    the    afternoon    the    mountains    were 
entered,  the  storm  every  moment  becoming  more 
severe.    In  the  higher  altitude  the  rain  became  sleet 
and  snow.    As  the  sun  went  down,  we  came  to  an 
Arab  village  and  were  delighted  to  find  a  comfort- 
able room  in  the  village  master's  home,  heated  by  a 
great  wood-fire.    A  palatable  dinner  was  served  of 
meat,  rice,  bread,  and  cofifee.    Early  the  next  morn- 
ing found  us  again  in  our  saddles  pushing  on  as 
rapidly  as  possible.     Towards  noon  we  began  to 
meet  large  numbers  of  caravans,  and  I  was  led  to 
thmk   we  were  approaching  the  city.     Soon  we 
reached  the  top  of  a  range  of  hills,  and  stretching 
out  before  us  lay  the  plain  of  Aleppo,  with  its  many 
gardens,  and  the  city  with  its  towering  Roman 
Castle  m  the  distance.     At  the  American  mission 
there,  I  found  my  escort  for  the  remainder  of  the 


BANDITS   AND    BRIGANDS 


S3 


journey  awaiting  me.  Some  days  later,  the  Gov- 
ernor came  in  amid  the  firing  of  cannon  and  the 
noise  of  several  brass  bands,  but  the  merchant  with 
whom  I  had  shared  the  room  in  the  inn  I  never  saw 
again. 

A  caravan  journey  across  the  plains  of  Asia 
Minor  is  much  like  a  voyage  at  sea;  the  same 
duties  are  performed  each  day  until  they  become 
monotonous,  and  much  the  same  siglits  are  seen. 
We  had  delightful  visits  with  friends  in  Urfa, 
Diabekir,  and  Mardin,  but  at  other  times  we  went 
on  and  on,  day  after  day,  without  any  special  inci- 
dents occurring  until  the  Tigris  was  crossed  and  we 
were  safely  landed  with  our  colleague,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  McDowell,  at  a  small  village  on  the  upper 
Tigris. 

Together  we  entered  the  mountains,  and  my 
medical  work  began.  My  colleague  being  detained 
in  one  of  the  villages,  I  pushed  on  to  the  bedside  of 
a  friendly  chief,  some  sixty  miles  away,  who  was 
seriously  ill.  The  journey  was  a  very  hard  one,  and 
it  was  also  difficult  to  find  any  sort  of  food.  I 
reached  the  patient  in  time  to  be  of  service  to  him, 
but  the  fever  that  I  had  contracted  on  the  road 
increased  day  by  day  and  later  developed  ^li  the 
symptoms  of  cholera.  I  found  the  stuffy  native 
houses  intolerable,  and  was  carried  out  into  a  garden 
near  a  cooling  stream  and  left  there.  I  have  little 
recollection  of  what  happened  on  tlie  following 
days;  all  that  I  desired  was  to  be  let  alone,  and  this 


3i 

i.  ; 


f 


84    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

seemed  to  be  the  one  thing  that  the  native  people 
were  unwilling  to  do.  The  messenger  sent  to  in- 
form my  companion  of  my  illness  was  slow  in  reach- 
ing him,  but  when  he  did  receive  my  letter  he  made 
all  haste  in  coming  to  where  I  was.  Under  his  kind 
care,  I  was,  in  due  time,  ready  to  continue  our 
journey  into  the  mountains. 

We  had  not  gone  far,  however,  until  it  became 
evident  that  I  needed  a  somewhat  prolonged  rest, 
and  as  Mr.  McDowell's  home  at  that  time  was  in 
Urumia,  we  decided  to  cross  the  mountains  and 
spend  the  summer,  or  part  of  it,  there.  The  dis- 
tance was  about  two  hundred  miles  and  took  us 
through  the  wildest  and  roughest  portions  of  Kur- 
distan. The  scenery  is  as  grand  as  any  in  the  world 
perhaps,  and  much  of  the  way  there  are  no  roads, 
only  a  foot-path.  We  made  much  of  the  journey 
on  foot,  which  after  my  severe  illness  I  naturally 
found  somewhat  trying,  but  we  got  on  very  nicely 
until  the  end  of  the  first  week.  I  was  glad  enough, 
however,  when  Saturday  night  found  us  in  a  Nes- 
torian  village  that  appeared  to  me,  new  to  the  coun- 
try, quiet  and  peaceful,  where  we  were  to  spend 
Sunday. 

This  valley  of  T'Khoma  is  more  like  a  ravine 
or  gorge,  the  mountains  rising  on  either  side 
thousands  of  feet,  like  great  walls.  Although 
the  people  are  nominally  Christians,  they  are 
known  all  over  the  mountains  as  brigands  and 
bandits.     Two  years  before,  they  had  stripped  a 


BANDITS   AND    BRIGANDS     86 


I 


Colonel  Bell  of  the  Indian  Army,  who  was  passing 
through  that  region,  and  a  little  later  a  French  monk 
had  suffered  all  but  torture  at  their  hands.  We  also 
learned  that  caravans  went  miles  out  of  their  way 
to  escape  these  notorious  robbers.  As  we  had 
arranged  to  spend  Sunday  there,  not  knowing  the 
ciiaracter  of  tlie  people,  we  thought  the  best  thing 
to  do  was  to  carry  out  our  plans  and  take  the  conse- 
quences. To  run  away  on  Sunday  morning  would 
have  been  unwise  as  well  as  useless,  for  we  had 
hardly  reached  the  place  until  plans  had  been  made 
to  rob  us. 

All  day  Sunday  we  kept  open  house  and  many 
came  to  see  us,  including  those  who  were  on  the 
following  day  to  rob  us.  Robbery  and  plunder  were 
in  the  air,  and  it  was  evident  that  we  were  to  be  the 
victims.  Fortunately,  we  had  with  us  some  trusty 
men,  and  to  the  bravest  we  gave  our  watches  and 
most  of  our  money,  with  the  understanding  that 
wiien  we  went  to  bed  he  was  to  escape  from  the 
valley  and  make  his  way  on  to  Urumia,  one  hundred 
miles  distant.  We  never  knew  when  he  left  us,  for 
we  did  not  see  him  unti'  lays  after,  when  our  effects 
were  safely  returned  to  us  by  him. 

We  put  our  beds  that  night  out  on  the  roof,  and, 
notwithstanding  the  impending  trouble,  we  slept 
well.  While  the  stars  were  yet  shining  we  ate  our 
breakfast,  loaded  our  belongings  on  some  hired 
mules,  and,  threading  a  crooked,  narrow  street,  at 
daylight  emerged  from  the  town.    There  was  a  little 


36    TWENTY   YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

patch  of  green  just  outside  the  village,  and  gathered 
there  were  a  number  of  our  callers  of  the  day 
before,  with  a  lot  of  as  rough-looking  savages  as  I 
have  ever  seen. 

An  Oriental  is  nearly  always  dignified,  and 
these  men,  notwithstanding  their  ough  exteriors, 
were  no  exception  to  the  rule.  The  leader  quietly 
stepped  forward  and  seized  the  bridle  of  the 
first  animal  in  the  caravan,  while  his  men  un- 
loaded everything  and  carried  it  away,  then  the 
second,  the  third,  and  so  on,  until  everything  disap- 
peared. We  were  told  to  sit  down  on  some  rocks 
nearby,  and  we,  with  an  equal  amount  of  dignity, 
did  as  we  were  commanded.  There  was  nothing 
that  day  like  the  war-whoop  of  the  North  American 
Indian.  Everything  was  done  decently  and  in 
order.  We  were  told  that  it  would  be  safer  for  us 
to  go  back  lo  our  rooms,  and  again  we  obeyed. 
Later,  however,  we  sought  the  shelter  of  a  cave  on 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  and  there  spent  the  day 
roasting  eggs  a:id  mushrooms.  Late  in  the  evening, 
a  messenger  came  and  told  us  that  no  money  had 
been  found  in  our  goods,  and  that  it  was  money  they 
wanted.  The  messenger  said  if  we  would  arrange 
to  pay  a  large  fee.  the  goods  would  be  returned  to 
us.  We  had  no  idea  of  paying  this  fee  at  any  time, 
for  we  knew  that  just  as  soon  as  they  had  our 
money  they  would  again  seize  our  goods.  We  went, 
however,  with  the  man  who  had  come  to  us  with 
their  message  to  the  church,  where  the  robbers  had 


BANDITS   AND    BRIGANDS      87 


their  headquarters.  We  found  most  of  them  more 
or  less  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and  after  a 
prolonged  palaver,  during  which  we  were  told  that 
we  were  "  the  best  fellows  in  the  world,"  we  re- 
turned to  the  house  where  we  had  spent  the  night 
before.  One  or  two  came  to  call  again  and  deplored 
the  meanness  of  their  neighbours,  and  at  the  same 
time  many  of  our  things  were  in  the  possession  of 
these  same  men.  We  served  them  with  tea,  and,  as 
the  photographer  would  say,  looked  pleasant.  But 
down  deep  in  our  hearts  we  wondered  if  we  would 
not  be  held  for  ransom. 

The  road  for  retreat  was  securely  closed  against 
lis;  while,  in  front  of  us,  bands  of  men  slept 
under  the  stars  awaiting  our  coming.  The  ques- 
tion that  troubled  them  was  what  we  had  done 
with  our  watches  that  they  had  seen  and  the  money 
that  they  knew  we  must  have  had  for  our  travelling 
expenses.  Until  that  question  was  settled,  they  still 
had  business  with  us.  They  found  it  hard  to  believe 
that  we  could  have  trusted  even  one  of  our  men  with 
these  things.  After  a  sleepless  night  on  the  floor 
in  the  house  in  which  we  had  spent  the  two  previors 
ones,  we  arose  early  and  started  on  foot  down  the 
same  crooked  street  that  we  had  gone  on  the 
previous  day.  We  were  again  met  at  the  edge  of 
the  village  by  a  band  of  men,  this  time  not  the 
dignified  men  of  the  day  before,  but  a  crowd  of 
young  men  and  boys.  We  were  commanded  to 
hand  over  our  money  and  watches,  or  tell  what  we 


88    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

had  done  wi»h  them.    When  we  told  them  that  we 
had  sent  them  away,  and  that  we  had  only  the 
clothing  that  we  had  on,  they  became  very  angry 
and  attacked  us  with  clubs,  and  no  doubt  would  have 
done  us  great  bodily  harm  had  there  not  been  two 
factions  in  the  mob.    We  soon  saw  that  these  two 
factions  were  extremely  jealous  of  one  another,  and, 
by  appealing  first  to  one  crowd  and  then  to  the 
other,  we  succeeded  in  passing  the  village.    A  mile 
or  two  above  the  village  is  a  bridge,  and  at  this 
bridge  we  found  a  band  of  villains  awaiting  us,  and 
again  we  were  held  up  and  searched.    Finding  that 
we  had  nothing,  we  would  have  been  let  go  had 
not  a  few  of  the  men  from  the  village  who  had  fol- 
lowed us  come  up.     They  insisted  that  we  had 
money  hid  somewhere  in  our  clotliing.  and  they 
began  to  fight  vigorously,  when  we  called  the  leader 
of  the  gang  that  had  waited  for  us  at  the  bridge  to 
one  side,  and  told  him  that  if  he  would  give  the 
village  men  a  good  thrashing,  we  would  see  that  he 
was  well  paid  for  it.    He  accepted  the  oflfer  and  the 
nielce  began.     While  this  was  going  on,  we  made 
fast  time  up  the  valley ! 

The  affair  would  have  ended  there  had  not 
another  gang  been  waiting  to  intercept  us  at 
the  mouth  of  the  gorge.  We  were  then  pos- 
sibly five  or  six  miles  from  the  village.  This 
last  band  was  more  determined  than  the  others,  and, 
to  our  dismay,  it  was  soon  joined  by  some  of  the 
more  vicious  element  from  the  village.    They  took 


BANDITS  AND   BRIGANDS     S9 


my  companion  up  on  the  mountain  side,  as  we  both 
thought,  to  n  irder  him.  I  followed  close  behind, 
and  seeing  a  young  fellow  ready  to  strike  the  fatal 
blow,  I  could  not  resist  the  opportunity  to  strike  one 
blow  in  defence  of  our  lives,  so  taking  a  good-sized 
stone,  I  felled  the  would-be  murderer.  Just  then, 
some  one  struck  me  a  fearful  blow  on  the  head, 
which  rendered  me  unconscious  for  a  few  minutes. 
When  I  came  to  myself  the  robbers  were  gone,  and 
so  was  most  of  my  clothing.  I  was  told  that  when 
I  threw  the  stone  that  probably  saved  the  life  of 
my  companion,  they  let  him  go  and  attacked  me. 
A  native  woman,  the  wife  of  one  of  the  Protestant 
pastors,  who  was  there,  rushed  forward  and  threw 
herself  between  the  robbers  and  me,  and  thus  saved 
my  life.  In  the  struggle  that  followed,  most  of  my 
clothing  was  torn  from  me.  This  appeared  a  mere 
trifle,  however,  when  we  realised  that  we  had 
escaped  from  this  deatli-trap  with  our  lives.  There 
is  a  superstition  among  these  wild  tribes  that,  when 
a  woman  appeals  in  this  manner  for  the  life  of  a 
victim,  the  appeal  must  be  heeded.  I  think,  too,  that 
the  bandits  became  convinced  that  we  had  told  them 
the  truth  about  our  having  no  money. 

The  road  that  day  lay  over  miles  of  snow  and  ice, 
and  to  keep  from  succumbing  to  the  severe  weather 
I  secured  a  coat  from  a  shepherd  whom  we  found  in 
the  mountains  with  his  flocks.  The  coat  aflforded 
protection  from  the  cold  rain  that  had  set  in,  but  it 
was  alive  with  all  manner  of  creeping  things,  and  it 


40    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

was  with  not  a  little  joy  that  we  reached  the  home  of 
a  poor  but  friendly  Kurd,  just  as  the  sun  went 
^dovvn.  For  our  dinner  that  night  we  had  a  little 
stale  bread  and  roasted  mushrooms.  We  arose  early 
the  next  morning  and  pushed  on  six  miles  farther  to 
the  home  of  a  pastor  of  one  of  the  Protestant 
churches.  Under  his  hospitable  roof  we  spent  a 
week,  and  I  shall  never  forget  the  plain,  but  clean 
and  wholesome,  food  that  his  good  wife  had  pre- 
pared for  us. 

Another  thing  that  added  cheer  to  our  hearts  was 
the  unexpected  visit  one  morning  from  a  young  man 
who  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  robbery  the 
first  day  that  we  were  attacked.     He  introduced 
himself  by  saying  that  he  had  spent  a  short  time  in 
tlie  mission  school  in  Urumia,  but  since  his  return 
to  the  wilds  of  the  mountains  he  had  fallen  into  bad 
habits,  and  had  gone  on  the  road  robbing  caravans. 
He  said  that  he  knew  that  we  were  to  be  robbed,  but 
that  he  was  powerless  to  prevent  it,  so  he  secured  the 
help  of  liis  relatives  and  they  had   taken   many 
of  our  things  that  he  would  return  to  us.      He  said 
he  had  not  forgotten  what  the  Americans  had  done 
for  him.  and  he  would  make  his  words  good  by 
delivering  our  effects.     The  next  day  our  trunks 
came  in,  somewhat  damaged,  but  they  were  most 
welcome.    We  sent  back  to  our  fighting  friend  his 
well-earned    present.      In    due    time    we    reached 
Urumia.  later  continuing  our  journey  to  Tabriz, 
stopping  for  some  weeks  in  Salmas  at  route. 


il^ 


A   KURDISH   WOMAN. 
The  women  of  the  liills  do  not  wear  veils. 


If 


BANDITS   AND    BRIGANDS     41 

In  October,  in  company  with  my  colleague,  the 
Rev.  E.  W.  McDowell,  and  a  Nestorian  medical 
assistant,  we  left  Urumia  for  a  year  in  Kurdistan, 
going  zna  Ravandooz  and  Mosul.  After  crossing 
the  Turkish  frontier,  we  learned  that  cholera  had 
appeared  in  Ravandooz  and  the  region  beyond,  and 
that  quarantine  would  soon  stop  all  travel.  We 
therefore  hastened  on,  hoping  to  reach  Mosul  before 
word  came  from  Constantinople  to  establish  the 
quarantine,  for  a  Turkish  quarantine  is  something 
to  avoid  if  possible.  As  we  approached  the  Zab 
River,  one  day  out  from  Mosul,  we  saw  on  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  river  the  long  line  of  tents  that 
told  us  that  the  roads  were  closed  to  travel.  We 
stopped  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river  and  sent  a 
message  over  to  the  physician  in  charge,  asking  per- 
mission to  pass  the  guard,  on  the  ground  that  I  was 
a  physician  ready  for  service  in  case  of  an  epidemic. 
This  request  had  to  go  to  Mosul,  and  before  the 
reply  came  back,  my  medical  assistant  contracted  the 
disease,  and.  though  in  a  light  form,  his  illness  de- 
tained us  more  than  two  weeks.  By  the  time  that 
he  was  ready  to  travel,  the  epidemic  having  reached 
Mosul,  all  quarantines  were  removed  and  we 
pushed  on  into  the  city. 

The  trip  from  Urumia  to  Mosul  can  be  made 
easily  in  ten  days  by  caravan,  but  we  were  thirty 
long  days  on  the  road.  The  scenery  on  a  portion  of 
the  road,  especially  after  passing  Ravandooz.  is 
fine.    When  we  reached  Mosul,  we  found  that  the 


42    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

permit  tor  us  to  pass  the  quarantine  had  been  issued 
by  the  Governor,  but  with  the  delay  that  marks 
everything  in  that  land  it  had  not  been  sent.  We 
called,  however,  on  the  Governor,  who  was  very 
gracious  and  assured  me  that  my  services  as  a 
physician  would  be  in  demand.  In  this  he  was  not 
mistaken,  for  both  my  assistant  and  I  soon  had 
more  than  we  could  do,  and  we  made  a  good  many 
friends  that  after\vards  proved  of  value  to  us.  The 
epidemic  was  severe  enough,  but  it  was  nothing 
compared  with  the  epidemics  that  I  have  since  seen 
in  Teheran. 

Mosul  is  built  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Tigris,  just 
opposite  the  site  of  ancient  Nineveh.  When  I  was 
there,  it  had  a  population  of  about  seventy  thousand, 
twenty-five  thousand  being  Christians,  the  remain- 
der being  Arabs,  Kurds,  and  Turks.  The  climate 
is  very  hot,  and  a  long  row  of  graves  of  mission- 
aries, out  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  river,  shows 
clearly  that  it  is  no  place  for  Americans  to  live.  I 
spent  a  portion  of  two  winters  there  and  found  the 
climate  at  that  season  very  delightful,  but  was  told 
that  the  summers  were  so  unbearably  hot  that  even 
the  natives  were  compelled  to  spend  the  days  in  the 
cellars,  and  the  nights  on  the  roofs.  The  country 
about  the  town  is  very  fertile,  and  grain  can  be 
grown  without  irrigation,  as  the  winters  are  warm, 
with  an  abundance  of  rain.  I  remember  that  we 
had  a  reasonable  supply  of  fruit  and  an  abundance 
of  fine  vegetables.    When  the  Germans  extend  their 


BANDITS   AND   BRIGANDS     43 


I 
I 


railroad  through  the  region,  the  country  will,  I  feel 
sure,  take  on  new  life,  while  immense  quantities  of 
wheat  will  be  grown.  Were  canals  reconstructed 
and  water  furnished  for  agriculture,  almost  every- 
thing could  be  grown.  Europeans  living  there  could 
spend  the  hottest  part  of  the  summer  out  in  the  hills, 
a  few  hours  away.  The  city,  as  it  is  now,  is  cer- 
tainly no  place  for  Europeans  in  summer.  How- 
ever, if  proper  houses  were  built,  it  would  be  more 
healthful  than  Bagdad,  which  is  perhaps  not  saying 
very  much. 

There  is  no  system  of  drainage  in  Mosul,  and 
nearly  every  little  courtyard  has  a  cistern  into 
which  the  refuse  is  thrown.  The  drinking  water  is 
taken  from  the  river  and  rendered  potable  by  an 
ingenious  filter,  constructed  from  clay  in  the  shape 
of  the  ordinary  wine  receptacle.  The  potter,  while 
the  clay  is  soft,  works  a  little  salt  into  the  bottom 
of  the  jar  and  after  burning,  when  the  water  is  put 
into  it,  the  salt  is  dissolved,  leaving  minute  holes 
through  which  the  water  percolates.  This  is  the 
method,  no  doubt,  that  was  used  by  the  inhabitants 
of  Nineveh.  I  have  seen  the  vilest  water  taken  from 
ponds  where  animals  had  been  standing  and  rt. 
dered  beautifully  clear  by  this  perfect  filter, 
although,  of. course,  the  microbes  cannot  be  removed 
by  any  sort  of  a  filter. 

The  bazaars  of  Mosul  are  insignificant  when  com- 
pared with  those  in  Teheran,  Tabriz,  or  Constanti- 
nople.   Yet  a  very  considerable  volume  of  trade  is 


44    TWENTY    YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

carried  on  between  these,  as  it  is  the  outlet  for  all 
trade  with  lower  Turkish  Kurdistan  and  Bagdad. 
The  Tigris  might  be  navigable  as  far  as  Mosul  if 
the  river  could  be  cleared  of  a  few  obstructions. 
Steamers  have  come  up  that  far  during  periods  of 
high  water.  But  the  usual  communication  is  by 
means  of  curiously  constructed  rafts,  which  are 
made  by  inflating  a  hundred  goat-skins  and  lashing 
these  balloons  together  with  willow  branches  and 
string.  On  the  top  of  this  are  placed  poles,  which 
form  a  sort  of  a  deck,  on  the  top  of  which  is  placed 
a  little  room  made  from  poles  and  covered  with 
native  cloth.  The  writer  once  made  this  journey  in 
company  with  Dr.  Budge,  of  the  British  Museum, 
who  was  on  his  way  to  Babylonia.  The  journey 
down  requires  only  a  few  days,  and  is  made  with 
great  comfort  in  the  winter  time.  As  the  river  was 
low  when  we  made  the  trip,  we  were  obliged  to  tie 
up  the  raft  at  night.  It  was  necessary  to  keep  a  fire 
on  the  bank  close  by  because  of  the  jackals  which 
came  very  near  to  us,  making  a  strange  noise,  half 
tliat  of  the  humt.n  voice  and  half  that  of  the  hyena. 
Sometimes  one  felt  almost  certain  that  it  was  a 
human  being  in  great  distress,  but  a  few  steps  away 
from  the  fire  would  reveal  the  very  eyes  of  the  crea- 
ture in  the  darkness.  Europeans  living  throughout 
the  East  have  learned  to  bury  their  dead  very  deeply, 
for  these  hyenas  often  burrow  into  graves  and 
devour  the  remains. 

There  is  also  fine  duck-shooting  during  the  winter 


BANDITS    AND    BRIGANDS     45 

and  spring  months,  and  we  were  able  to  bag  a  u;ood 
many  on  the  way  down.  Very  Httle  food  can  be 
obtained  on  the  river  except  at  Tekrit,  the  birth- 
place of  the  celebrated  Saladin.  All  rafts  are  com- 
pelled to  stop  here  and  pay  a  tax,  which  often 
amounts  to  blackmail.  Dr.  Budge  had  been  fired 
upon,  on  a  previous  trip,  by  the  Arabs,  and  we  were 
glad  when  we  were  allowed  to  go  with  the  usual  haj 
or  tax.  The  journey  on  to  Bagdad  was  without 
incident,  while  the  return  was  made  on  post  horses 
via  Kerkook. 

As  one  looks  out  on  the  broad  plain  of  the  lower 
Tigris,  it  is  not  hard  to  understand  the  great  ma- 
terial prosperity  that  once  blest  the  entire  valley, 
many  hundreds  of  tniles  long.  The  Arab  farmer 
has  only  to  scratch  the  surface  of  the  soil  and  his 
seed  is  returned  to  him  within  a  few  months  a  hun- 
dred-fold. One  also  can  fancy  the  great  cities  of 
Nineveh  and  Babylon,  with  a  hundred  smaller  places 
between,  being  supported  by  the  toiling  peasants 
and  serfs ;  but  it  is  not  so  easy  to  associate  the  great 
minds  that  planned  and  built  these  historic  places 
with  the  present-day  inhabitants  of  the  countr>'. 
But  the  Orient  is  full  of  the  unfathomable. 


Hit  ■# 


':  I 


.    t 


m 


CONDITIONS  OF   LIFE  ALONG  THE 
TURCO-PERSIAN   FRONTIER 

IT  was  late  in  December  before  the  cholera  had 
abated  sufficiently  for  me  to  leave  Mosul  for 
the  hills.  Although  the  snows  had  covered 
the  mountains  and  filled  many  of  the  passes  I  pushed 
on  and  joined  Mr.  McDowell,  who  had  left  Mosul  a 
month  before.  I  had  with  me  a  large  supply  of 
drugs  and  a  good  surgical  equipment,  and  I  looked 
forward  to  a  fine  winter's  work.  We  sometimes 
hear  in  America  of  an  "  unopposed  "  practice,  but 
the  one  I  was  entering  would  have  been  willingly 
shared  by  me  with  a  dozen  colleagues,  for  Kurdis- 
tan, with  over  two  million  inhabitants,  had  not  then 
a  single  medical  man, 

A.-  ..e  crossed  the  Tigris  on  the  bridge  of  boats 
and  rode  through  Koyunjik,  the  mounds  that  mark 
the  site  of  the  palace  of  Sennacherib  in  ancient 
Nineveh,  our  caravan  consisted  of  a  guide,  a  serv- 
ant, a  dispenser,  and  the  muleteer  whose  animals 
we  had  engaged.  Late  in  the  evening  of  the  second 
day  we  rode  into  the  village  of  Elkosh,  which  once 
had  been  the  home  of  the  prophet  Nahum.  I  think 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  was  the  place 

4« 


TUR  CO-PERSIAN    FRONTIER     47 


where  the  propliecics  of  Nahum  were  written.  It 
is  situated  some  forty  or  fifty  miles  from  Nineveh, 
and  was,  in  its  early  history,  no  doubt  much  larj^er 
and  more  important  as  a  social  and  commercial 
community.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  the  heat  of 
Nineveh  drove  thousands  of  its  people  to  the  near-by 
hills,  and  Elkosli  was  one  of  the  most  convenient 
points  where  food  and  houses  could  be  obtained. 

The  dwellers  on  the  hot  plains  to-day  find  very 
trying  the  change  between  night  and  day  in  a  high 
altitude  among  the  snow-fields.  Indeed,  I  have  ob- 
served many  times  serious  illnesses  among  the  peo- 
ple who  suddenly  had  changed  their  place  of  abode 
from  the  burning  plain  to  the  cold  regions  in  the 
mountains.  And  so  Elkosh,  being  in  the  foothills, 
was  probably  to  Nineveh  what  Brighton  is  to 
London  or  Newport  is  to  New  York.  No  doubt 
this  preacher  of  unpleasant  things  was  stirred  by 
the  wickedness  which  he"  saw  on  every  hand,  and 
his  sermons  have  made  historic  the  otherwise  in- 
significant native  town. 

When  we  were  there,  we  were  taken  into  the 
little  synagogue  and  there  shown  a  scroll  which  was 
said  to  have  been  Nahum's.  Of  course,  this  was 
quite  impossible,  but  that  it  was  the  same  synagogue 
repaired  and  rebuilt  many  times.  I  consider  quite 
probable.  Formerly,  the  town  had  been  a  Turkish 
governmental  post,  as  near-by  was  the  centre  of  a 
large  community  of  Yezidees,  or  Devil-\Vorshii>- 
pers.     When  I  was  there,  the  seat  of  government 


48    TWENTY    YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

had  been  transferred  to  Dihook,  while  the  Yezidees, 
or  Devil-Worshippers,  were  being  looked  after  by 
a  special  commission  from  Constantinople,  whose 
professed  purpose  was  to  convert  them  to  Moham- 
medanism. 

As  soon  as  I  joined  Mr.  McDowell  in  the  district 
of  Supna,  we  pushed  on  to  Tiary,  and  there  opened 
a  dispensary  and  hospital.  The  people  we  found 
living  as  they  did  centuries  ago,  many  never  having 
been  beyond  the  narrow  limits  of  the  valley  in  which 
they  had  been  born.  And  yet  they  had  retained 
much  of  the  training  and  character  of  their  ances- 
tors. This  was  particularly  true  of  the  Nestorians, 
who  had  an  unquenchable  thirst  for  knowledge  and 
for  schools,  a  characteristic  of  their  forefathers  of 
Nisibis,  clearly  demonstrating  the  stability  of  edu- 
cation and  civilisation.  On  the  other  hand,  I  saw 
little  indication  of  any  desire  on  the  part  of  the 
Kurds  for  any  sort  of  learning,  but  they  had  no 
Christian  ancestry  back  of  them.  The  homes  of 
the  common  people  are  in  hamlets,  these  small  vil- 
lages often  being  but  a  short  distance  apart,  the 
liouses  being  built  of  roughly  cut  stones.  They  are 
usually  two  stories  in  height,  the  lower  story  being 
used  in  winter  for  the  sheep  and  cattle  as  well  as 
for  the  family,  and  the  upper  one,  which  is  gen- 
erally open  on  two  sides,  is  occupied  in  summer  by 
the  family.  In  some  places  the  mosquitoes  and  fleas 
are  so  bad  that  these  open  rooms  are  abandoned 
for  booths  erected  on  a  platform  supported  by  tall 


TUR  CO- PERSIAN    FRONTIER     49 


poles,  the  wind  having  the  opportunity  to  blow  the 
mosquitoes  away. 

The  furnishings  of  the  ordinary  home  in  this 
remote  region  are  necessarily  extremely  simi>le;  a 
few  mats,  possibly  a  rug,  together  with  some  large 
pieces  of  native  felt,  some  earthen  cooking  vessels 
and  primitive  firearms  make  up  the  list.  I  must, 
however,  add  a  large  knife,  which  is  worn  by  all 
who  can  afford  one,  in  their  belts.  The  men  wear 
their  hair  long  and  plaited  down  the  back,  and 
amuse  themselves  as  they  go  about  the  village 
knitting  stockings  and  woollen  shoes. 

A  son  rarely  leaves  home  permanently  for  any 
reason.  If  he  marries,  the  wife  is  brought  to  the 
common  home  of  his  father,  and  it  is  not  unusual 
to  find  a  half-dozen  families  living  under  one  roof, 
sometimes  two  or  three  families  in  a  single  room. 
Marriages  are  contracted  at  an  early  age  and  the 
young  wife  is  called  a  bride  until  her  mother-in- 
law  dies.  The  lot  of  the  so-called  bride  is  not 
usually  a  very  happy  one,  for  she  must  perform 
the  most  menial  duties  of  the  household.  Long 
before  it  is  light  she  must  rise  and  go  out  on  the 
mountain  in  search  of  the  day's  fuel.  Uixin  her 
return  she  must  prepare  the  morning  meal,  and 
when  this  is  over  she  cleans  the  stables,  mixing  the 
manure  with  straw;  tlien  moulding  it  with  her  hands 
she  places  it  in  the  sun  to  dry.  to  be  burned  for 
fuel  in  the  long  winter  days  when  the  mountains 
are   covered   with   heavy    snows.      She   is    never 


I 


so    TWENTY    YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

allowed  to  s|>eak  in  the  presence  of  her  father-in- 
law.  I  once  reniemher  asking  a  yotinfj  lx>y  how 
many  children  his  parents  had  and  was  surprised 
to  fx"  told  only  one.  I  then  retnarked  that  I  had 
seen  several  in  his  home  and  asked  who  they  were. 
The  reply  came  very  sarcastically,  "Oh,  they  are 
girls  and  do  not  count !  "  I  once  saw  a  man,  upon 
reaching  a  hill,  take  a  heavy  bag  oflf  his  donkey, 
give  it  to  his  wife  to  carry  up  the  hill,  and  mount 
the  burro,  riding  himself  to  the  top. 

Marriages  are  always  arranged  by  the  parents, 
the  father  of  the  groom  making  a  liberal  present 
to  the  bride's  father.  Currency  being  often  un- 
known in  the  region,  gifts  of  food  and  other  articles 
in  the  way  of  provisions  are  paid  instead.  A  youn[j 
student  told  me  that  his  father,  in  securing  his  wife, 
had  had  to  pay  what  he  considered  an  exorbitant 
price,  the  present  ctmsisting  of  five  sheep,  two 
goats,  a  calf,  and  ten  gallons  of  cooking  oil. 
Divorce,  however,  is  almost  unknov^rn. 

A  wedding  among  the  Kurds  is  not  devoid  of 
romance  and  chivalry.  The  groom's  father  gathers 
alKuU  him  all  his  warriors  and  friends,  a  coat  of 
many  colours  is  l)rought  out  and  placed  on  the 
youth,  who  heads  the  procession,  and  they  all, 
heavily  armed,  proceed  to  the  village  or  home  of 
the  bride.  As  they  draw  near,  music  begins,  guns 
are  fired,  and  the  bride's  father  with  his  warriors 
rushes  out  to  meet  the  friendly  foe.  A  sham  battle 
is  fought,  and  after  numerous  repulses  the  groom, 


A  KLKKISU  UKIiDlNi.;  DANCE. 


A  I'KPSIAN   (iUofKR. 


. 


TURCO-PERSIAN    FRONTIER     61 

with  his  men,  is  allowed  to  rush  in  and  steal  the 
bride,  carrying  her  away  amid  the  confusion  and 
roar  of  musketry.  The  part  of  the  bride's  father 
now  is  to  rush  after  his  daughter  and  persuade  her 
to  return  to  his  home.  She  being  unwilling  to  do 
this,  there  is  nothing  left  but  to  invite  the  groom 
with  all  his  warriors  to  the  wedding  feast.  The 
night  is  spent  in  dancing  and  with  music.  At  mid- 
night, horses  are  brought  by  a  party  of  the  groom's 
friends,  and  the  bride,  often  a  young  girl  hardly  in 
her  teens,  is  taken  to  her  new  home. 

Western  medicine  to  these  simple  people  is  an 
enigma,  and  they  accredit  a  physician  with  un- 
limited power,  for  it  was  not  unusual  for  them  to 
bring  to  us  patient;^  who  were  supposed  to  have 
devils,  their  friends  .ally  expecting  us  to  be  able 
to  cast  them  out.  No  sooner  was  it  noised  about 
that  there  was  a  Western  physician  in  the  region, 
than  we  were  overrun  with  patients.  From  early  in 
the  morning  until  late  at  night  we  dispensed  drugs, 
and  gave  them  such  advice  and  counsel  as  we  could. 
Many  came  simply,  as  they  said,  to  "  pour  their 
peace "  upon  us  and  assure  us  of  a  hearty  wel- 
come. In  entering  the  room  they  always  follow 
their  usual  custom  of  removing  their  shoes,  but 
keeping  on  their  hats,  and  with  a  salutation, 
"  Peace  to  you,"  they  would  take  a  seat  upon  the 
floor.  Frequently  they  would  crowd  into  our  bed- 
rooms to  see  how  we  got  into  our  clothing.  I 
have  never  seen  a  people  so  given  up  to  the  use 


62    TWENTY    YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

of  tobacco,  and  the  pipe  is  enjoyed  by  all  the  men 
and  by  many  of  the  women.  In  these  high  altitudes 
it  is  often  an  exciting  cause  of  asthma. 

There  is  a  class,  however,  toward  whom  one  sus- 
tains quite  different  relations  from  what  one  does 
to  the  simple  people  of  the  lower  classes.  I  refer 
to  the  sheikhs  or  chiefs  of  the  various  clans.  With- 
out exception,  I  found  them  very  suspicious  of  all 
foreigners,  and  they  often  told  me  that  it  was  be- 
yond their  comprehension  to  conceive  how  one 
could  leave  his  home  and  native  land  without  hope 
of  some  pecuniary  gain.  They  usually  closed  such 
conversations  by  plainly  asking  us  if  we  were  not 
political  agents  of  our  government,  and  often  we 
had   trouble   in   convincing   them  that   we   were 

not. 

The  common  ground  on  which  we  could  always 
meet  was  that  of  medicine,  and  this  sometimes 
seemed  strange  to  me,  because  they  knew  that  many 
European  drugs  are  poison.  But  I  think  that  our 
surgical  work  aided  more  to  win  favour  than  any- 
thing else.  I  recall  one  poor  young  man  who  had 
suffered  for  fourteen  years  with  a  most  painful 
illness  that  was  quickly  relieved  by  a  surgical  oper- 
ation. I  remember,  too,  how  the  poor  mother  who 
had  nursed  him  most  tenderly  all  these  years  was 
almost  overcome  with  joy  when  she  realised  that 
her  son  was  to  be  well  and  strong  again. 

My  colleague  and  I  were  at  once  sent  for  by  a 
chief  of  an  adjoining  district,  to  pay  him  an  official 


TURCO-PERSIAN  FRONTIER    68 

visit.      Guests  thus  sent  for  by  these  chiefs  are 
usually  quite  safe,  and  are  not  infrequently  shown 
special  honour  and  favour.    This  man  lived  in  a 
rather  large  building,  it  might  be  called  a  castle, 
high  up  on  the  mountain,  and  was  known  far  and 
near  as  a  man  of  influence  and  power  among  the 
tribesmen.    Almost  within  a  day's  notice  he  could 
raise  an  army,  lock  every  mountain  pass  in  the  dis- 
trict, stop  all  travel,  and  hold  complete  control.  Al- 
though his  district  was  in  Turkish  territory,  the 
Turkish   government   exercised  but   a  loose   and 
nominal  control  throughout  the  region.     Indeed, 
throughout  all  Kurdistan  the  Turks  are  treated 
largely  as  guests.    As  long  as  they  behave  them- 
selves, they  are  shown  considerable  respect,  but 
they  are  only  able  to  exercise  authority  through  the 
chiefs,  such,  for  example,  as  our  host.     The  au- 
thority of  the  Turks  is  even  less  in  the  valleys  of 
the  mountain  Nestorians.    The  story  was  told  us 
once  of  a  tax-gatherer  who  visited  the  chief  man 
in  a  Nestorian  village  in  Tiary  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a  new  assessment   for  the  governor  of 
Amidia.    The  district  had  been  reported  to  him  as 
one  of  the  most  lawless  in  East  Turkey.    He  was 
hardly  prepared  to  be  cordially  received,  and  after 
having  stated  to  the  village  master  the  purpose  of 
his  visit,  he  was  invited  to  stay  for  the  midday 
meal,  and  with  delight  accepted.    After  luncheon 
the  coffee  was  served,  which  contained  an  opiate. 
While  asleep,  he  was  sewed  up  in  a  large  piece 


%l 


■A-<: 


54    TWENTY   YEARS    IN    PERSIA 


of  felt,  upon  which  he  was  sleeping,  and  cast  into 
the  river. 

As  my  colleague  and  I  approached  the  castle  of 
the  chief  of  Berwer,  he  came  out  with  a  large 
escort  to  greet  us.  Drawing  near,  he  being  on  foot, 
we  dismounted  from  our  horses  and  received  a  very 
cordial  greeting  and  were  vscorted  immediately  into 
the  guest  chamber,  which  was  also  used  as  a  gen- 
eral reception  room.  At  the  further  end  of  this 
large  room  glowed  a  warm  and  cheery  fire,  made 
of  logs  and  wood  in  a  great  fireplace,  with  a 
tremendously  large  chimney.  These  chimneys  are 
sometimes  used  as  a  means  of  escape,  when  the 
castle  is  attacked.  Th<-  doors  were  ponderous 
things,  with  great  heavy  locks  and  hinges,  while 
the  walls  and  ceilings  were  covered  with  a  yellow- 
coloured  plaster.  On  the  walls  hung  rifles,  made 
in  New  England,  also  swords  and  daggers,  which 
bore  an  Oriental  stamp.  The  evening  meal  was 
at  once  served  by  the  attendants,  although  the  son, 
in  honour  of  his  father's  guests,  assisted.  There 
were  no  chairs  in  the  place,  and  we  sat  on  the  floor 
in  two  rows,  the  dinner  being  served  also  on  the 
floor,  the  tablecloth  being  a  piece  of  coarse  native 
muslin.  The  meal,  which  consisted  largely  of  rice 
and  mutton  cooked  in  various  ways,  dried  fruits 
such  as  apricots,  peaches,  and  raisins,  together  with 
the  products  of  the  dairy,  was  eaten  by  us  with 
much  relish  after  our  all-day  march  through  the 
snow,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  servant  had 


TURCO-PERSIAN    FRONTIER    55 

stepped  many  times  upon  the  tablecloth  with  his 
shoeless  feet,  while  bringing  in  the  food. 

After  our  evening  meal,  the  chief  gave  us  a  bit 
of  his  history,  while  we  told  him  something  of 
America.  He  belonged  to  a  family  which  had  es- 
tablished its  authority  by  defeating  some  of  the 
more  powerful  chiefs  and  deposing  them.  His 
father  was  one  of  the  most  cruel  men  the  region 
has  ever  produced.  His  son,  our  host,  told  us  of 
a  raid  made  by  him  upon  a  neighbouring  tribe,  in 
one  of  the  villages  of  which  he  either  drove  away 
or  killed  every  inhabitant  save  a  young  woman 
whom  he  captured  and  was  taking  home  for  his 
harem.  The  road  back  to  his  castle  lay  across  a 
deep,  swift  river  on  which  was  built  a  narrow  foot- 
bridge. When  in  the  middle  of  the  bridge,  the  girl 
cried,  "  My  friends  and  people  are  dead,  and 
I  shall  die,  too,"  and  with  one  great  leap  she  alighted 
far  out  in  the  stream,  where  she  was  soon  drowned 
or  killed  by  being  dashed  against  the  rocks  with 
which  the  stream  was  filled. 

Our  host  had  sent  word  to  different  parts  of  his 
district  that  a  hakim  or  medical  man  would  be  there 
on  that  date,  and  the  following  day  his  castle 
was  thronged  with  patients  and  so  continued  for 
three  days,  when  we  were  compelled  to  leave.  He 
has  ever  since  remained  a  staunch  friend,  and  later 
desired  his  son  to  enter  our  school  and  prepare  for 
the  study  of  medicine. 

The  friendliness  of  this  chief  toward  us  was  in 


'  i\ 


66    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


striking  contrast  to  that  of  the  Agha  or  chief  of 
Sharnooch.  This  gentleman  had  the  distinction  of 
hving  on  one  of  the  many  mountains  that,  tradition 
says,  marked  the  resting-place  of  the  Ark.  So  he 
called  his  hamlet  Sharnooch,  or  City  of  Noah.  We 
were  spending  the  heated  months  of  summer  at  the 
little  village  of  Hasanna,  in  Bohtan,  not  very  far 
from  this  man's  castle.  Desiring  to  keep  on  terms 
with  him,  I  paid  him  a  visit  after  several  invitations. 
On  the  day  appointed  for  my  journey  up  the  hill 
to  his  place,  a  distance  of  perhaps  twenty  miles, 
through  groves  of  scrub  oak,  he  sent  horses  to  take 
me  there.  My  reception  was  not  less  cordial  than 
at  the  castle  of  Benver,  and  the  days  swiftly  passed. 
I  had  brought  with  me  my  tent  and  was  furnished 
a  guard  as  a  sign  to  indicate  to  roving  bands  on 
the  mountain  that  I  was  under  the  Agha's  protec- 
tion. Here,  as  in  other  places,  great  crowds  came 
from  all  the  neighbouring  villages  to  consult  the 
Hakim  Sahib,  or  doctor. 

After  having  spent  more  than  two  weeks  there 
as  the  Agha's  guest,  I  asked  for  permission  to  go. 
He  replied  that  his  horses  had  all  been  sent  down  on 
the  plain  to  bring  up  grain  for  his  animals.  I 
waited  patiently  for  a  few  days  and  again  went  to 
him,  only  to  be  met  with  another  excuse  for  not 
letting  me  go.  I  then  learned  that  he  was  debating 
the  question  of  holding  me  as  hostage,  hoping  for 
a  large  sum  as  ransom!  Realising  this,  I  at  once 
took  active  measures  to  impress  upcm  him  what 


TURCO-PERSIAN   FRONTIER    67 


vengeance  would  be  dealt  out  to  him  ultimately  in 
case  he  did  not  let  me  depart.  He  took  the  matter 
under  consideration,  and,  toward  evening,  one  of 
his  men  came  to  the  tent  and  told  me  that  horses 
would  be  ready  the  next  morning  for  my  transport 
back  to  Hasanna.  This  friendly  Kurd  said  that 
the  Agha  found  it  difficult  to  keep  me  after  having 
invited  me  as  his  giiest,  without  violating  an  Orien- 
tal unwritten  law  that  makes  a  guest  always  safe, 
and  also  that  the  people  had  been  favourably  in- 
fluenced by  the  medical  work  I  had  done  for  them. 
The  treatment  given  to  certain  of  his  advisers  had 
been  successful,  and  these  men  had  objected  to  hold- 
ing me  as  hostage,  although  they  had  urged  me  to 
locate  there  permanently. 

When  I  went  that  evening  to  call  on  the  Agha 
and  say  good-bye,  I  found  him  in  a  very  bad 
humour,  and  it  was  evident  that  my  going  was  not 
to  his  liking.  It  struck  me  that  he  was  like  a  cat 
that  had  to  give  up  a  mouse  before  he  had  had  the 
pleasure  of  killing  it,  and  I  was  not  quite  sure 
what  the  morrow  would  bring  forth.  But  we  were 
not  disappointed,  and  before  noon  the  next  day  we 
were  safe  in  the  camp  of  our  friends  in  the  gardens 
near  Hasanna.  But  our  troubles  were  not  all 
ended,  for  a  few  days  later  there  came  a  message 
from  the  Agha  warning  us  to  leave  the  village.  As 
the  village  was  not  in  his  jurisdiction,  but  under  the 
Turkish  governmental  post  at  Jezerah,  and  as  our 
rights  as  American  citizens  were  defined  by  treaty 


58    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

with  Turkey,  we  decided  to  stick  to  our  post  of 
duty  and  take  the  consequences. 

Mrs.  McDowell  bravely  went  with  her  children 
into  the  village,  where  her  husband  found  shelter  for 
her  in  the  home  of  a  Protestant  pastor.  We  gathered 
about  us  the  most  trusty  men  we  could,  with  which 
to  guard  our  camp  and  belongings;  at  the  same  time 
we  wrote  a  letter  to  him  politely  but  firmly  pointing 
out  our  rights  as  American  citizens  to  reside  and 
travel  throughout  the  domain  of  the  Sultan.  The  mes- 
senger who  carried  our  letter  to  the  Agha  reported 
that  the  latter  was  determined  to  drive  us  from  the 
country,  since  his  plans  for  a  large  ransom  had 
failed.  Indeed,  he  said  that  when  the  Agha  read 
the  letter  from  us  he  was  furious,  and  with  an  oath 
declared  that  within  twenty- four  hours  he  would 
be  down  upon  us  and  destroy  our  camp.  But  hav- 
ing been  committed  to  the  plan  of  "  standing  pat," 
we  concluded  not  to  change  our  programme,  al- 
though I  must  confess  for  my  part  that  I  was  not 
a  little  apprehensive  as  to  the  result.  All  night  long 
we  kept  vigil,  some  trusty  men  watching  the  gorge, 
a  mile  or  two  above  the  camp,  ready  to  give  the 
alarm  in  case  the  sound  of  horsemen  was  heard. 
But  no  one  came  from  Shernooch  until  towards 
noon,  when  a  peasant  reported  that  everything  had 
been  ready  for  the  attack,  but  the  same  friendly 
advice  that  had  saved  me  from  being  held  as  hos- 
tage had  prevented  the  raid  upon  us.  But  these 
same  Kurds,  in  later  years,  have  destroyed  nearly 


TURCO-PERSIAN    FRONTIER    59 


all  the  Nestorian  villages  in  Bohtan,  not  sparing 
even  Hasanna  with  her  gardens,  the  most  pic- 
turesque and  fertile  of  them  all. 

To  a  Kurd,  the  killing  of  a  Nestorian,  or  for  that 
matter  the  destruction  of  a  whole  Nestorian  com- 
munity, is  a  matter  of  little  importance,  and  I  re- 
gret to  say  that  in  some  instances  the  Nestorian 
holds  the  same  opinion  about  a  Kurd  and  his  be- 
longings. Our  remaining  at  Hasanna  during  that 
summer,  and  our  refusal  to  be  driven  out  by  the 
Agha,  saved  the  people  for  a  long  time  from  de- 
sLuction.  They  were  a  good  people,  and  had  never 
given  their  government  any  trouble,  although  their 
taxes  often  mounted  to  half  the  product  of  their 
fields  and  flocks. 

Although  the  village  is  gone,  its  influence  con- 
tinues, for  one  of  the  boys  who  carried  a  gun  on  the 
night  of  our  expected  attack  is  now  an  honoured 
doctor,  treating  and  curing  these  same  Kurds  who 
inflicted  such  terrible  and  undeserved  punishment 
upon  the  village  of  his  boyhood.  Even  among  this 
wild  people  the  matchless  parable  of  the  good 
Samaritan  has  served  to  interpret  the  true  meaning 
of  the  Golden  Rule.  Several  others  have  also 
gained  a  knowledge  of  Western  medicine  and  have 
returned  to  become  a  blessing  to  their  people.  Not 
a  few  teachers  trained  in  the  American  school  at 
Urumia  are  rendering  a  service  of  incalculable 
value  in  the  Kurdish  mountains,  where,  under  the 
most  trying  circumstances,  they  are  teaching  not 


60    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


only  spelling  and  arithmetic,  but  the  value  of  hon- 
esty and  truth,  and  that  *'  Peace  hath  her  victories 
as  well  as  War." 

After  matters  had  quieted  down  at  Ilasanna,  I 
left  my  American  friends  there,  returning  to  Uru- 
mia  via  Mosul  and  Ravandooz,  to  meet  my  cousin, 
Mr.  Luther  D.  Wishard,  and  his  wife,  ami  Mr. 
W.  H.  Grant,  all  of  New  York,  who  were  making 
a  tour  of  inspection  of  the  missions  in  Asia,  the  for- 
mer in  the  interests  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations  in  colleges.  On  the  road  between 
Mosul  and  Ravandooz  our  chavaJor  lost  the  road 
and  took  us  miles  out  of  the  way.  Being  early  in 
September,  the  sun  was  frightfully  hot  on  that  great 
plain.  Fearing  a  sunstroke,  we  stopped  at  a  miser- 
able mud  village  for  the  remainder  of  the  day,  where 
we  secured  a  guide  who  piloted  us  back  to  the  right 
road.  Near  Ravandooz,  the  road  enters  a  great 
gorge  of  unsurpassed  beauty.  It  may  have  been 
that  after  our  experience  of  the  day  before,  that 
caused  us  such  a  weary  and  useless  march  in  the 
desert,  this  cool  and  green  gorge,  with  its  towering 
walls  wliicli  shielded  us  frotn  the  burning  rays  of 
the  sun.  seemed  more  like  E<U'n  than  it  otherwise 
would  have  done.  On  the  top  of  the  hill,  just  before 
we  got  into  the  town,  we  met  a  man  with  a  score  or 
more  of  donkeys  loaded  with  the  most  luscious 
grapes  and  bought  enough  for  a  good  feast. 

Ravandooz.  an  old  Kurdish  fortress  and  town,  is 
now  held  by  the  Turks  and  used  by  them  to  collect 


TURCO-PERSIAN    FRONTIER    61 


customs  from  caravans  coming  trom  Persia  on  that 
road.  It  was  not  my  first  visit  there,  for,  a  couple 
of  years  Ixifore,  t!ic  Turkisii  officers  had  attem|)ted 
to  collect  blackmail  from  us,  thinking  that  we  were 
strangers  in  the  land.  When  they  found  that  I 
had  been  properly  licensed  to  practise  medicine  in 
Turkey,  their  whole  attitude  changed,  and  we  were 
treated  witli  the  usual  Oriental  courtesy. 

We  found  the  Turkish  officers  throughout  this 
district  as  cruel  and  heartless  as  are  their  neighbours 
the  Kurds.    With  a  few  notable  exceptions,  tliey  were 
men  who  had  been  sent  into  the  region  as  exiles, 
it  having  been  deemed  wise  for  political  reasons 
to  get  them  as  far  from  the  large  centres  in  Turkey 
as  possible.    During  a  summer  spent  in  Kurrlistan, 
in  company  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Coan,  we  had  several 
unpleasant  encounters  with  these  officers,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  Dr.  Coan  was  born  in  the 
country  and  knew  the  language  perfectly.    At  one 
place,  I  remember,  we  were  asked  to  show  our  pass- 
ports, which  we  did,  the  man  refusing  to  return 
them  without  a  present  for  himself  over  and  above 
the  usual  tax.     Instead  of  paying  the  blackmail, 
we  overpowered  the  man,  threw  him  to  the  ground, 
and  took  our  pa|)ers  from  him.    He  then  apologised 
for  his  conduct.    .\  foreigner  in  East  Turkey  with- 
out a  passport  would  be  like  a  ship  at  sea  without 
a  compass. 

The  attitude  toward  all  Americans  residing  or 
travelling  in  Asiatic  Turkey  on  the  part  of  the  gov- 


Hll 


69    TWENTY    YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


emnient,  would  seem  to  be  one  of  suspicion  ami 
distrust.  I  do  not  know  that  Americans  travelling 
through  tlie  country  arc  treated  with  less  courtesy 
than  other  foreigners,  although  such  a  charge  is 
not  infrequently  heard.  But  I  <lo  know  by  ex- 
perience that  much  more  can  be  done  by  cultivating 
the  friendship  of  local  governors  and  influential 
personages  throughout  the  country  than  through 
our  diplomatic  and  consular  officers.  Of  co>  'se, 
extreme  cases,  such  for  instance  as  the  un^  re- 
voked attack  upon  an  American  lady  in  Amidia, 
must  be  called  to  the  attention  of  our  representa- 
tives in  Turkey,  but  it  was  our  policy  whenever  pos- 
sible never  to  call  upon  the  consular  officers  for  help. 
A  friendly  and  worthy  consul  or  diplomatic  officer 
may  be  of  immense  assistance  to  his  countrymen 
sojourning  in  the  East,  and  with  one  or  two  ex- 
ceptions the  men  we  had  in  Turkey,  when  I  was 
there,  were  both  competent  and  friendly.  Nor  were 
the  Turks  all  unspeakable.  I  usually  found  the 
governors  in  the  larger  places  cordial  and  appreci- 
ative. Those  on  the  outposts  of  v..vilisation  along 
the  frontier  are,  as  I  have  pointed  out,  another  class 
of  men. 

In  Urumia,  I  met  my  cousin  and  his  party  and 
acc(Mnpanied  thetn  on  horseback  to  Kharput  zna 
Salnias,  Van,  and  Bitlis.  This  route  took  us 
through  tlie  heart  of  Armenia  just  before  the  mas- 
sacres; indeed,  the  troubles  had  then  begun,  and 
many  villages  had  been  pillaged.    While  at  Moosh 


TUUCO-PKRSIAN    FRONT  I  Ell     68 


wc  lu-ard  many  stories  of  oppression,  murder,  arson, 
and  crimes  that  are  unmentionable.  The  storm 
clouds  were  then  dark  and  rapidly  gathering;,  and, 
a  year  later,  wc  were  not  surprised  to  liear  that 
this  whole  re};ion  had  been  visited  by  one  »)f  the 
foulest  and  crudest  wars  u|Kin  an  inniKCU  anil  sim- 
ple people  the  world  has  known  since  the  days  of 
Rome,  It  is  not  enough  to  plead,  in  def'  ';e  f)f  the 
Turkish  government,  that  there  wa.  ..  'ation- 

ary  jwrty  among  the  young  Atm  <\\v^  T't,-:*; 
were  in  the  cities,  and  not  an-i;  Hn'  . 'ni  ^Ift 
farmers,  with  their  wives,  liv"  -  i  lo<  sh  .»nd 
Sass(M)n,  A  year  later,  ^  had  .'  <  fi'  i.i  '>i  f 
the  friends  we  made  tiierc  whic!  cl()->e  1  as  nui  ^  : 
"At  Derkevank  I  saw  three  w  ti  -r,  i  fi'j  <  -  fro.n 
Semal.  One  of  them,  with  quiwi  "i.,,.  Ii,  ,  r;.!, 
quietly  weeping,  said:  '  I  had  two  L'ot'i  r^  w.  '.  .i 
son-in-law  and  other  relatives  killed.'  All  .  '^ni'^.i 
said  that  '  the  black  s»>l(liers '  (alluding  to  the 
dark  unifomi  of  the  regular  soldiers)  attacked  and 
slew  by  bayonet  a  large  number  of  people.  Tliey 
added  that  protcctidii  was  offered  the  women  and 
children  on  condition  tliat  they  would  adopt  the 
Moslem  faith,  but  they  said,  'rather  than  do  this 
we  risked  our  lives  and  fled.'  After  hiding  in  the 
shelter  of  rocks  for  a  number  of  days,  they  were 
able  to  make  their  escape.  At  Havo<loric,  a  man, 
l)y  the  name  of  Toros,  also  from  Semal,  told  me 
that  his  son,  a  brother,  a  niece  and  sister,  were 
killed  in  the  mas.sacrc.     He  stated  that  after  five 


64    TWENTY   YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

days  of  dire  conflict  he  fled  and  hid  for  ten  days 
among  trees,  subsisting  in  the  meanwhile  on  the 
fruit  of  a  kind  of  thistle.  He  stated  that  he  helped 
to  open  a  pit  or  trench,  and  removed  and  buried 
five  bodies,  one  of  which  was  the  body  of  the  priest 
Hohannas,  who  he  said  had  met  his  death  after 
severe  and  prolonged  torture  at  the  hands  of  the 
soldiers.  He  said :  *  We  wished  to  remove  more 
bodies  and  bury  them,  but  the  stench  of  the  decay- 
ing bodies  was  so  great  that  we  could  not  do  it.' 
He  added :  '  At  the  time  I  buried  my  sister,  I  cut 
off  her  hair,  and  it  is  now  in  my  mother's  posses- 
sion.' Also,  that  when  his  brother  was  seized  and 
hurried  off  by  the  soldiers,  he  took  off  his  cap  and 
threw  it  back  to  his  mother  with  the  words,  '  They 
are  going  to  kill  me,  keep  this  as  a  last  remem- 
brance.' The  man  was  cruelly  murdered.  A  woman 
by  the  name  of  Rahan,  formerly  of  Dalorig, 
now  staying  at  Havodoric,  said,  '  Our  family  num- 
bered twelve,  of  whom  five  were  killed.  My  hus- 
band, brother,  and  his  son  were  hacked  in  pieces, 
my  husband  received  a  terrible  wound  and  is  now 
at  St.  Aghperig  monastery.  I  saw  them  kill  my 
brother's  wife.  A  soldier  took  up  a  large  stone  and 
struck  her  head  so  violently  that  her  brains  were 
scattered  and  she  fell  down  dead.  When  I  saw 
this,  and  the  others  killed  by  the  bayonet,  I  wept 
sorely  and  beat  my  head  so  that  I  am  now  blind.' 
The  story  of  the  Sassoon  massacre  can  never  be 
written ;  the  fragments  that  we  have  heard,  ix)rtions 


TURCO-PERSIAN    FRONTIER    65 


only  of  which  are  given  ''n  this  imperfect  narrative, 
are  a  true  sample  of  what  has  taken  place.  Some 
of  the  most  harrowing  of  the  statements  have  come 
to  us,  having  been  told  by  the  soldiers  themselves, 
the  narrators  claiming  to  have  been  unwilling  actors 
in  the  awful  massacre,  and  aver  that  they  now  suf- 
fer intense  mental  torture  at  the  memory  of  those 
deeds." 

The  Turks,  having  begun  this  war  upon  the 
Christians,  extended  their  pillage  and  arson  into  the 
larger  places;  even  the  homes  and  schools  of  our 
American  hosts  in  Kharput  were  not  spared,  being 
burned  before  the  eyes  of  their  owners.  It  was  a 
repetition  of  the  scene  at  Nisibis,  more  than  a 
thousand  years  before,  and  yet  it  was  during  the 
closing  days  of  the  nineteenth  centur>' ! 

At  Kharput,  after  bidding  my  friends  good-bye, 
I  engaged  animals  and  came  to  Diabekir,  a  place 
then  of  perhaps  sixty  thousand  inhabitants,  sur- 
rounded by  a  magnificent  stone  wall,  well  situated 
on  a  bluff  on  the  Tigris.  My  host  and  hostess  there 
were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doiajian.  I  spent  several  de- 
lightful days  with  them,  he  being  the  acting  Eng- 
lish Vice-Consul  at  that  time.  When  the  massacres 
were  extended  to  the  West  and  South  and  the 
hordes  of  rab!)le  from  all  over  that  part  of  Kurdis- 
tan attacked  the  city,  the  fact  of  the  British  flag 
flying  ovc;-  his  gate  did  not  save  him.  We  heard 
upon  our  return  to  America  that  lie  had  met  with 
a  cruel  death  at  the  hands  of  the  Kurds. 


!'  ; 


66    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


The  following  year  the  American  Hospital  in 
Teheran,  having  been  partially  fitiished,  the  writer 
was  asked  by  his  Board  to  become  its  director,  and, 
after  a  short  furlough  in  America,  he  proceeded  to 
Teheran  to  take  up  his  new  duties.  The  work  in 
Kurdistan  has  gone  steadily  forward,  with  some 
slight  interruptions,  under  the  able  and  self-sacrific- 
ing direction  of  Mr.  McDowell,  assisted  by  a  staff  of 
native  doctors  and  teachers. 

Last  year  a  letter  from  him  to  the  Mission  con- 
tained an  account  of  the  foHowing  unique  experi- 
ence, which  I  am  sure  will  interest  every  reader. 
The  letter  is  as  follows:  "I  left  T'Khoma,  Fri- 
day. Jan.  4,  with  an  escort  of  over  thirty  men.  I 
dismissed  as  many  as  possible  on  the  niouiitain-side 
above  Khaiii,  a  number,  however,  of  their  own  ac- 
cord goii'g  on  with  me,  as  they  had  business  of 
their  own  in  Julamerk.  At  two  in  the  afternoon, 
we  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain  overlooking 
Tal,  and  in  a  few  minutes  began  the  descent.  Nine- 
teen of  us  had  just  started,  when  there  was  an 
avalanche  and  the  nineteen  of  us  were  hurled  to 
the  bottom  of  the  mountain.  One  man  was  lost. 
Three  otiiers  were  buried,  but  were  dug  out  unin- 
jured. One  man  had  a  shoulder  dislocated.  Aside 
from  these  casualties,  there  were  no  serious  injuries 
to  any  of  the  party.  My  own  injuries  were  con- 
fined to  a  i)ruised  and  sprained  knee  and  the  frac- 
ture of  two  ribs. 

"  It  was  a  terrible  experience,  and  not  easily  de- 


T  U  R  C  O  -  P  E  R  S  I  A  N    FRONTIER    67 


scribed.  Willi  Kasha  Yukhanan,  Rabi  Nisan,  and 
the  Shada  1  was  following  the  men  who  had  opened 
the  road.  At  the  top,  the  mountain  is  so  steep  that 
I  was  unable  to  keep  on  my  feet  and  had  fallen  and 
was  still  on  my  back,  when  there  was  a  crash  as  the 
field  of  snow  broke  loose  from  its  moorings.  I  had 
a  tlash-like  glimpse  of  the  whole  side  of  the  moun- 
tain in  motion.  Rabi  Nisan  cried  out :  '  Sahib 
tliklan'  (we  are  lost).  There  was  a  sensation  as 
though  falling  through  space,  a  gale  of  wind  struck 
us  in  the  face,  and  a  cloud  of  snow  shut  out  the 
world.  There  was  a  succession  of  rapid  wave-like 
motions,  and  then  the  snow  began  to  break  up.  In 
spite  of  all  my  efforts  to  keep  on  the  surface,  I 
was  drawn  under,  and  the  snow,  like  a  torrent  of 
water,  surged  over  and  around  me.  As  helpless 
as  a  pebble  in  a  IIixkI,  I  was  rolled  and  tumbled 
along  inside  the  avalanche.  I  can  recall  several 
heavy  jolts  as  though  from  falls.  Once  my  body 
was  bent  forward  on  my  legs  until  I  thought  my 
back  was  about  to  break.  But  finally  all  other  sen- 
sations were  lost  in  a  struggle  for  breath,  as  my 
mouth  filled  up  with  snow.  At  what  seemed  to  be 
the  jxiint  of  suffocation,  there  was  a  sudden  slow- 
ing up  of  the  mt)tion  of  the  avalanche,  and  I  found 
myself  lying  on  the  surface  of  the  snow. 

"  Frantically.  Init  with  difficulty,  1  emptied  my 
mouth  of  snow  and  recovered  my  breath.  I  think 
that  I  was  on  my  feet  before  I  did  this,  in  instinctive 
desire  to  escape  from  jK-ril.  As  I  stood  there,  1  looked 


68     TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

up  the  mountain  along  the  track  of  the  avalanche, 
and  I  can  describe  my  feeling  only  as  one  of  fear 
and  amazement  as  I  saw  the  men  who  but  a  mo- 
ment before  we  had  left  standing  on  the  top  of  the 
mountain  still  standing  there  against  the  clear  sky 
but  scarcely  discernible  as  men,  so  great  was  the 
distance :  and  1  had  come  that  distance  in  less  than 
two  minutes.  Kasha  Yukhanan,  on  a  previous  trip, 
had  timed  himself  by  watch,  and  he  said  that  it 
was  two  hours'  fast  walking  from  the  point  where 
I  landed  to  the  top  of  the  avalanche.  It  was  the 
opinion  of  all.  including  those  wlu  remained  at  the 
top,  that  the  time  occupied  in  our  descent  was  not 
more  than  two  minutes.  I  had  come  the  farthest 
of  the  whole  party.  How  it  was  that  no  more  lives 
were  lost,  and  esi)ecially  that  no  bones  were  broken, 
was  marvellous.  The  villagers  regarded  it  simply 
as  a  miracle,  as  the  proportion,  according  to  all 
precedent,  shcntld  have  been  the  other  way.  As  it 
is.  with  humble  gratitude  I  acknowledge  God's 
hand  in  our  remarkal)le  preservation. 

"  When  I  arose  to  my  feet  I  was  swathed  with 
snow  from  head  to  foot.  The  snow  had  been  forced 
into  my  |K)ckets  and  inside  all  my  clothing,  I  was 
hatlcss.  and  my  hair  was  matted  with  ice.  The  sun 
had  set  l)eiiiiKl  tlic  mountain,  and  the  icy  wind  raised 
by  the  avalanclio  was  congealing  me,  when  God's 
care  was  again  mamfest.  for  lying  on  the  snow,  not 
ten  feet  away,  was  my  heavy  overcoat.  Shada  had 
been  carrying  it,  and  he  came  out  a  long  way  above, 


TURCO-PERSIAN   FRONTIER    69 

but  the  overcoat  had  been  brought  down  to  me.    I 
threw  that  over  my  head  and  got  my  blood  into 
circulation  and  looked  around  for  the  others.    There 
were  two  or  three  men  near  me,  and,  in  answer  to 
my  inquiries,  they  said  that  all  the  others  were  lost. 
I  then  saw  Rabi  Nasan  some  distance  above  still 
shaking  himself  free  from  the  snow,  and  I  called 
to  him  with  reference  to  the  rest  of  the  party  and 
he  answered  to  the  same  effect.     Soon,  however, 
others  came  down  from  above  and  brought  more 
reassuring  word.     Kasha  Yukhanan.   Shada.  and 
others  had  come  out  half  a  mile  or  more  further 
up,  and,  under  the  direction  of  Kasha,  they  were 
busy  rescuing  those  that  were  partly  buried.     The 
only  sign  of  one  man  was  his  hand ;  only  the  elbow 
of  a  second  man  appeared,  and  a  third  man  was 
found  with  just  his  foot  sticking  out.  These  were  all 
dug  out  with  some  difficulty,  and  as  it  was  thought 
that  all  were  accounted  for,  they  came  down  to  the 
village.    There  on  calling  the  roll  it  was  found  that 
one  of  the  party  was  missing. 

There  of  the  six  men  at  the  top  of  the  mountain 
were  porters.  They  were  terrified  and  without  wait- 
ing to  learn  the  extent  of  the  catastrophe  had  fled  to 
T'Khoma.  to  report,  we  presumed,  the  loss  of  the 
whole  party.  The  others,  as  soon  as  the  air  cleared, 
came  down  and  joined  the  rescue  party.  All  our 
loads  were  left  on  the  mountain  top,  and  along  with 
the  otliers  I  slept  that  niglit  on  the  floor  under  the 
kursi,  which  was  a  blessing  to  be  devoutly  grateful 


70    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

for.  Aside  from  drying  our  clothes,  which  were  wet 
through,  the  heat.  I  presume,  was  the  best  possible 
treatment  for  our  bruised  and  sprained  b<xlies. 
There  was  not  much  sleeping  that  night,  though 
the  villagers  did  all  in  their  power  to  make  us 
comfortable. 

"  The  next  morning  we  were  able  to  limp  around, 
though  with  many  a  groan,  and  as  soon  as  possible 
a  party  of  men  from  Rabbat,  under  the  direction 
again    of    Kasha    Yukhanan,    who    did    splendid 
service,  was  sent  up  to  search  for  the  missing  man. 
Not  a  trace  was  found,  though  the  snow  was  care- 
fully probed.     He  will  probably  not  be  found  until 
spring.      A  man  was  sent  to  T'Khoma  to  tell  the 
trutii  and  prevent  a  panic.    Our  loads  were  brought 
down,  some  of  them  having  been  dug  out   from 
un  cr  the  snow,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  same 
d     .  Saturday,  we  went  down  to  Be  Kuri.     I  hob- 
I         part  of  the  way,  and  part  of  the  way  was 
ed    pickaback    by    two   strong  young   fellows, 
n  I  hired  to  help  me  through  to  Juianierk." 
lie  reader's  attention  is  called  to  the  interesting 
;iat  T'Khoma  is  the  district  where  we  were 
(1  sor  e  years  before,  as  narrated  in  the  pre- 
cha  ;  r.     While  there  is  much  yet  to  be  de- 
sired  n  tic  iives  of  the  people,  it  is  worthy  of  notice 
here  iliat  the  missionary  is  a  welcome  guest  among 
them.     Also  that  the  boy  who  returned  our  stolen 
IKwsessions  has   since   become   the   village   school- 
master. 


in 
re 

vitni 


TURCO-PERSIAN    FRONTIER     71 


And  stranger  still  is  the  news  from  Constanti- 
nople that  has  come  while  these  pages  are  being 
written,  telling  that  the  Sultan  has  granted  a  con- 
stitution and  that  a  Parliament  will  be  inaugurated. 
One  thing  is  sure,  and  that  is  that  no  people  can 
understand  the  meaning  of  liberty  until  it  is  dis- 
ciplined by  education  and  training.  A  half-bar- 
baric land  like  Kurdistan  is  hardly  the  place  for 
popular  government,  notwithstanding  the  progress 
made.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  a  great  step  forward 
when  Turkey  as  a  whole  declares  in  favour  of  even 
nominal  constitutionalism. 

The  American  missionaries  in  Turkey  have  taken 
no  part  in  fiolitics,  their  mission  being  strictly  along 
social,  philanthropic,  and  spiritual  lines;  but  it  is 
pretty  safe  to  say  that  when  that  government  is 
ready  for  competent  men  with  honest  purjwses,  the 
students  of  tiie  mission  schools  will  give  a  good 
account  of  themselves,  just  as  the  men  from  Robert 
College  did  in  Bulgaria,  when  that  government 
came  into  existence. 


IV 


ON  TO  TEHERAN 

IT  is  a  great  step  toward  civilisation  from  the 
wilds  of  Kurdistan  and  the  mountains  of 
Armenia,  in  Eastern  Turkey,  to  any  of  the  bet- 
ter Persian  cities,  especially  to  the  Capital.  Our 
life  of  three  and  a  half  years  in  that  remote  region 
had  been  under  the  Star  and  Crescent  of  the  Sultan, 
but  henceforth  it  was  to  be  "  Under  the  Shadow  of 
the  Shah,"  as  the  Persians  love  to  say  zccr-e 
siyay-Shahinshah.  Our  rest  and  furlough  in 
America  had  made  us  anxious  to  get  back  to  the 
free  and  interesting  life  of  the  Orient.  I  have  fre- 
quently noticed  that  those  who  have  spent  years  in 
the  East  are  never  quite  satisfied  at  home.  To  a 
medical  man,  the  field  of  usefulness  is  only  limited 
by  his  strength  to  meet  the  many  demands  that  are 
made  upon  him. 

The  usual  route  taken  by  Americans  going  to 
Teheran  is  via  Vienna  or  Berlin,  then  to  Baku,  the 
great  Russian  oil-centre  on  the  Caspian,  from  which 
I)oint  steamers  cross  over  to  the  Persian  ports. 
Steamers  usually  take  alx)ut  thirty  hours  for  the 
trip,  but  ten  of  them  are  consumed  at  Astara,  the 
town  at  the  Persian  frontier,  where  the  health  and 

72 


ON   TO   TEHERAN 


78 


custom  officials  come  on  board;  the  former  to  in- 
spect the  cro\v(!s  of  pilgrims  coming  from  Mecca, 
Meshed,  or  other  of  the  Mohammedan  shrines,  and 
the  latter  to  examine  the  luggage  and  passports. 
When  cholera  is  raging  in  the  region,  as  is  some- 
times the  case,  a  quarantine  detains  the  traveller  sev- 
eral da\s.  FootI  may  be  obtained  on  shipboard,  but 
no  bedding  is  furnished,  and  it  is  well  for  the  winter 
traveller  to  be  wcll-su|)plied  with  rugs.  On  many 
of  the  boats  tlie  first-class  passengers  find  the 
benches  in  the  dining  saloon  far  more  comfortable 
than  the  stuffy  little  statero<jms. 

The  journey  cannot  be  calletl  comfortable  at  best, 
but  it  does  make  a  great  difference  whether  one  is 
fresh  from  the  comforts  of  home,  or  is  returning, 
hardened  by  his  Asiatic  life.  On  one  of  several 
journeys  made  by  the  writer,  he  found  his  state- 
room swarming  with  silkworms.  It  seems  that  the 
person  who  had  occupied  the  room  on  the  previous 
trip  had  taken  over  with  him  some  special  breed  of 
worms  and  some  had  escaped.  At  another  time,  the 
night  was  made  hideous  by  a  frightened  horse, 
which  insisted  in  sticking  his  head  through  the  port- 
hole into  the  stateroom.  These  annoyances  come 
as  a  shock  to  those  fresh  from  home,  but  to  those 
who  have  accustomed  themselves  to  Oriental  over- 
land travel,  they  arc  treated  as  mere  instances  of 
travel,  gtxxl  only  to  tell  on  long  winter  evenings  to 
one's  i)eoi)k'  jjfalhorod  alxnit  the  family  hearth. 

It  was  a  fine  May  afternoon  when  our  steamer 


MICROCOPY    RESOIUTION    TEST   CHART 

lANSI  ond  ISO  TEST  CHART  No   2) 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


2.8 
3.2 
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140 


2.5 
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74    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

stood  off  the  port  of  Enzeli  and  gave  us  our  first 
glimpse  of  the  Shah's  domain  from  her  northern 
gateway.  It  is  always  fine  on  the  Caspian  in  May, 
and  the  green  hills,  heavily  wooded,  were  in  pleas- 
ing and  striking  contrast  to  Russia,  still  showing 
signs  of  winter,  through  which  we  had  just  passed. 
The  Caspian  Sea  is  lower  than  the  Black  Sea,  and 
its  shores  are  covered  with  the  semi-tropical  growth 
of  vegetation,  beautiful  to  look  upon,  but  forming 
a  jungle  filled  with  malaria  and  fever. 

The  whole  district  was  at  that  time,  and  is  yet, 
commercially  and  politically,  under  Russian  in- 
fluence. The  Shah  has  a  high  pavilion  near  the 
mouth  of  the  harbour,  from  which  the  Persian  flag 
flies,  and  which  is  used  in  entertaining  the  various 
ministers  and  diplomatic  officers  en  route  to  Teheran. 
There  is  a  little  hotel  where  the  unofficial  may  find 
a  resting-place,  if  such  are  willing  to  pay  official- 
prices.  At  nearly  all  the  hotels  and  inns  in  Persia 
there  is  no  regular  tariff,  guests  being  charged  ac- 
cording to  their  ability  to  pay.  At  another  time 
when  I  was  passing  that  way,  I  found  a  part  of  the 
hotel  given  over  to  the  health  officers  as  a  quarantine 
for  cholera  suspects. 

Persia,  with  the  exception  of  the  provinces  that 
border  on  the  sea,  is  a  highland,  with  many  fertile 
valleys,  but  more  often  an  endless  desert,  too  hot 
and  dry  in  the  summer  to  support  life,  and  in  the 
winter  frightfully  cold.  Wherever  sufficient  water 
can  be  found  to  furnish  irrigation  the  desert  is 


ON    TO   TEHERAN 


76 


quickly  transformed  into  gardens,  vineyards,  and 
fields  of  grain.  The  climate  is  not  an  unhealthful 
one,  except  in  the  provinces  around  the  Caspian,  but 
these  must  needs  be  crossed  by  all  travellers  to  the 
Shah's  capital,  unless  the  longer  route,  via  Tiflis 
and  Tabriz,  is  chosen.  Travellers  for  Tabriz  and 
the  western  provinces,  instead  of  leaving  the  rail- 
way at  Baku,  continue  their  journey  by  rail  to 
Jul  fa,  on  the  Aras. 

But  the  jungle  is  worth  seeing.     From  Enzeli 
we  were  taken  across  the  Mord-ob  or  Deadwater, 
for  a  distance  of  perhaps  ten  miles,  then  up  a  small 
creek  in  rowboats,  more  often  pulled  by  half-clad 
coolies  who  ran  along  the  shore.    Nothing  could  be 
more  enchanting  than  this  ride  of  four  or  five  miles 
up  this  stream  to  Pera  Bazaar  on  a  moonlight  night 
in  May.    The  bright  light  of  the  southern  moon,  so 
bright  that  numerous  nightingales  filled  the  night 
air  with  their  song,  and  the  stillness  only  disturbed 
by  the  splash  of  the  crude  gondola  as  it  suddenly 
turned  a  sharp  curve  in  the  tortuous  stream,  made 
us  forget  the  great  throbbing  world  left  far  behind, 
and  afforded  a  fitting  entrance  into  the  sombre,  un- 
fathomable, and  poetic  Iran. 

Pera  Bazaar,  at  the  head  of  the  canal  or  creek,  is 
about  four  miles  from  Resht,  the  chief  town  in  the 
Caspian  valley,  and  the  journey  between  the  two 
places  can  be  made  over  a  well-built  carriage  road, 
save  during  the  winter  months,  when  the  rains 
render  the  highway  almost  impassable.    The  city  of 


i  ^  1 

HI 


76    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

Resht  is  an  important  place,  of  some  60,000  people, 
having  a  considerable  trade  with  Russia.  It  is  the 
residence  of  a  Governor-General,  has  a  bazaar 
filled  with  Russian  goods,  some  well-built  houses, 
and  a  Mohammedan  population,  which,  while  nom- 
inally Persian,  is  largely  pro-Russian  in  political 
sentiment.  Just  outside  of  the  town  are  the  fine  and 
spacious  grounds  of  the  Russian  Consulate,  and 
those  who  have  filled  this  consular  post  have  been 
men  especially  chosen  from  St,  Petersburg,  fhere 
is  also  an  English  Vice-Consul  stationed  there,  who 
is  always  most  kind  to  American  as  well  as  to  Eng- 
lish travellers. 

The  American  Presbyterians  have  a  mission 
school  and  a  dispensary  in  the  centre  of  the  city. 
Most  of  the  other  foreigners  residing  in  Resht  are 
engaged  in  the  silk  culture,  hundreds  of  acres  about 
the  place  being  given  up  to  the  mulberry  groves. 
The  climate  is  very  trying,  and  but  few  Europeans 
or  Americans  have  found  it  possible  to  remain  there 
long  without  a  change.  Not  infrequently  for  a 
fortnight  it  rains  continuously  until  great  stagnant 
green  ponds  of  water  flood  the  streets,  and  the 
twilight  hours  are  filled  with  the  noise  of  thousands 
of  croaking  frogs. 

The  land  throughout  the  region  is  held  in  large 
tracts  by  landlords  and  is  cultivated  by  peasants.  A 
more  sorry-looking  lot  of  people  would  be  hard  to 
find  than  are  the  peasants  of  the  jungle.  Small  of 
stature,  pale  and  anaemic  from  malaria  and  lack  of 


ON    TO   TEHERAN 


77 


sunshine,  senility  is  stamped  on  their  faces  at  thirty 
years  of  age  from  starvation  and  hardships,  while 
they  are  practically  doomed  from  childhood  to  a 
life  of  serfdom  in  the  rice-fields.  Their  life,  there- 
fore, strikes  the  Westerner  as  being  utterly  hopeless. 

From  Resht  to  Teheran  is  about  two  hundred 
miles,  and  the  journey  can  be  made  over  a  well- 
built  Russian  waggon  road.  The  company  operat- 
ing the  road  agrees  to  take  passengers  through  in 
forty-eight  hours,  if  they  wish  to  travel  day  and 
night.  The  traveller  is  furnished  a  carriage  with 
four  horses,  which  are  changed  every  sixteen  miles, 
there  being  eighteen  changes  on  the  route. 

One  feels  a  sense  of  exhilaration  as  he  leaves 
Resht,  hears  the  crack  of  the  Tartar  driver's  whip, 
and  gets  well  started  on  the  way.  The  first  twenty- 
five  miles  are  through  the  jungle,  and  then  the  foot- 
hills of  the  Elburz  Mountains  are  entered.  The 
air  now  becomes  much  lighter,  the  sun  takes  the 
place  of  the  shadow,  and  the  horses  speed  along 
with  a  quicker  step.  The  forest  is  hardly  left 
behind  when  the  road  enters  the  great  groves  of 
olive  trees  at  Rud  Bar.  On  the  left  is  the  river, 
Safid  Rvid,  a  stream  as  large  as  the  Ohio  at  Cincin- 
nati, too  rapid  and  rocky  to  be  navigable.  The 
scenery  grows  more  rugged  and  grand  as  the  moun- 
tains are  entered  and  the  forest  disappears.  Up,  up, 
up  the  road  winds,  horses  are  frequently  changed, 
the  reckles  Tartar  driver,  at  breakneck  speed,  puts 
the  carriage  so  near  the  edge  of  the  cliff  that  rocks 


78    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

and  gravel  are  sent  whirling  to  the  bottom  of  the 
gaping  ravine.     VVhe.i  urged  to  drive  slowly,  he 
answers  with  a  grin,  lights  another  cigarette,  and 
with  a  fatalistic  placidness  observes,  that  "  We  are 
at  all  times  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord."    Later,  how- 
ever, when  a  waggon  containing  the  effects  of  one 
of  my  English  friends  was  turned  over  an  embank- 
ment, a  servant  killed,  and  the  company  compelled 
to  pay  blood-money,  strict  orders  were  given  to 
drive    more    carefully.     But    the    Tartar    driver, 
although  himself  badly  injured  in  the  fall,  never 
doubted  that  it  was  the  Divine  purpose  to  kill  that 
servant  at  that  time  in  that  way.     The  company, 
after  paying  the  money,  seemed  to  take  another 
view  of  the  matter. 

When  the  top  of  the  Elburz  Mountains  is 
reached,  the  beautiful  panorama  of  the  Persian 
Highlands  presents  itself.  It  is  a  great  plain, 
flanked  on  three  sides  by  high,  snow-capped  moun- 
tains, and  dotted  with  villages.  The  character  of 
tlie  architecture  now  changes,  and  the  thatched  roof 
gives  way  to  earth,  and  the  cane  walls  to  adobe. 
But  the  greatest  change  is  in  the  people.  One  sees 
fewer  pale  faces,  for  the  men  are  strong  and  rugged, 
independent,  and  often  insolent  in  their  bearing 
toward  Westerners. 

At  Kasvin,  ninety-six  miles  from  Teheran,  a  stop 
of  several  hours  is  usually  made,  giving  time  to 
overhaul  the  carriage.  There  is  an  hotel,  where 
food  may  be  obtained  and  resting  rooms  are  avail- 


ON   TO   TEHERAN 


79 


able.  The  town  is  one  of  ^he  oldest  in  modern 
Persia,  and  has  a  population  of  perhaps  50,000. 
With  the  exception  of  two  or  three  avenues,  its 
streets  are  narrow,  crooked,  and  often  choked  with 
filth.  The  climate,  however,  is  excellent,  as  the 
mountains  are  near-by,  and  there  is  an  abundance  of 
sunshine.  It  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Russian 
Road  Company,  which  has  now  built  a  waggon  road 
from  there  to  Hamadan,  to  connect  with  their 
Resht-Teheran  route.  They  also  maintain  an  hos- 
pital for  their  employes. 

When  the  writer  first  went  over  this  road  the 
journey  had  to  be  made  by  caravan  and  required 
eight  or  nine  days.  Very  little  of  it  at  that  time 
was  suitable  for  a  carriage,  and  parts  of  it  could 
only  be  traversed  by  the  sure-footed  mule.  As  the 
old  caravan  road  led  over  the  Kharzan  pass,  which 
was  often  impassable  on  account  of  snow,  the  posts 
were  frequently  greatly  delayed  in  reaching 
Teheran.  On  one  occasion.  I  remember  that  we 
were  without  home  letters  for  six  weeks,  due  to 
storms  on  the  Caspian  and  heavy  snows  on  the 
Kharzan.  Whatever  objection  may  be  raised  to  the 
Russian  occupation  of  Persia,  it  must  be  admitted 
that  she  has  already  rendered  a  great  servi.e  in  the 
construction  of  these  military  and  commercial 
roads,  that  make  the  use  of  carriages  auv.  waggons 
possible.  It  may  be  that  before  many  years  go  by, 
the  trolley  will  supersede  the  expensive  and 
antiquated  methods  of  transport  now  in  use.    Were 


fl 
III 


80    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


f 


they  to  inaugurate  a  modern  system  of  railways  in 
Persia,  it  would  go  far  toward  relieving  the  deep- 
seated  distrust  that  unquestionably  exists  in  the 
minds  of  the  Persians  against  their  northern  neigh- 
bours. 

The  home  and  dispensary  of  the  American  mis- 
sionaries in  Kasvin  are  in  the  heart  of  the  town, 
some  distance  from  the  hotel  and  post-house.  Near 
the  hotel  there  is  an  office  of  the  Indo-European 
Telegraph  Company,  where  messages  are  accepted 
for  Teheran  or  for  Europe.  For  several  miles 
about  the  city  the  farmers  are  engaged  in  the  grape 
culture,  and  during  the  autumn  months  most 
luscious  grapes  can  be  purchased.  The  bazaars  are 
not  important,  and  the  traveller  is  usually  glad  when 
the  city  gate  is  passed  and  he  finds  himself  o.i  the 
great  open  highway  that  stretches  out  for  ninety- 
six  miles,  before  the  domes  and  spires  of  Teheran 
are  seen.  The  road  follows  the  Elburz  Mountains 
all  the  way,  skirting  the  southern  foothills  of  that 
range.  Sometimes  the  road  leads  through  green 
fields,  but  more  often  over  stony  wastes,  where  the 
only  signs  of  life  are  the  shepherd  boys  with  their 
flocks.  Frequently  upon  seeing  the  sun-helmet  of 
the  Westerner  these  boys  run  with  a  lamb  in  their 
arms  and  offer  it  as  a  present,  not  expecting  it  to  be 
accepted,  but  hoping  that  a  small  gift  of  monov  will 
be  paid  for  the  courtesy  of  the  offer. 

The  journey  from  Teheran  to  Kasvin  usually 
takes  about  sixteen  hours,  unless  prolonged  stops 


ON    TO    TEHERAN 


81 


are  made  at  the  rest-houses  when  the  horses  are 
changed.  Some  twenty  miles  out  from  the  Capital, 
the  Karaj  River  is  crossed  and  the  plain  of  Teheran 
is  entered.  Just  at  the  bridge  is  one  of  the  royal 
gardens,  but  rarely  visited  by  the  Shah.  After 
leaving  Shahabad,  the  last  post-house  on  the  road, 
sixteen  miles  from  the  Capital,  a  fine  view  of  Dema- 
vend  may  be  obtained.  This  gigantic  peak  is  over 
eighteen  thousand  feet  high,  and,  although  sixty 
miles  away,  seems  less  than  half  the  distance. 

As  one  nears  the  city,  the  road  widens  and  long 
rows  of  camels  and  pack  animals,  and  an  occasional 
carriage  of  a  grandee  with  his  retinue,  are  passed; 
gardens  are  more  frequently  seen  and  better  kept 
than  those  about  Kasvin ;  but,  with  these  exceptions, 
there  is  little  to  tell  the  stranger  that  he  is  nearing 
an  Imperial  city. 

Just  before  reaching  the  city-gate,  and  about  a 
mile  to  the  left,  is  a  small,  well-kept  cemetery,  where 
rest  the  European  and  American  Protestants  who 
have  died  in  Persia.  East  of  the  city  are  the  Roman 
Catholic  and  Russian  burial-grounds.  Sir  Walter 
Scott's  son,  once  a  Secretary  of  the  British  Lega- 
tion, is  buried  in  an  old  Armenian  church  near  the 
Shah-Abdul-Azim  gate.  Without  exception,  they 
were  brave  men  and  women,  who,  whether  diplo- 
matist, merchant,  or  missionary,  died  at  their  post 
of  duty.'  If  you  had  known  them,  you  might  not 
have  agreed  with  their  politics,  not  with  their  re- 
ligion, or  with  their  purposes  in  being  in  the  Orient ; 


I 

3  i 


!fi 


89    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

but  when  you  had  known  them  to  have  been  brave 
in  times  when  men's  lives  were  tried  as  by  fire,  by 
cholera  and  pestilence,  you  would  have  generously 
forgotten  all  save  their  bravery.  But  we  are  now 
at  the  city-gate;  let  us  go  in. 


THE  SHAH'S  CAPITAL 

TEHERAN,  the  capital  and  largest  city  in 
Persia,  has  a  population  of  perhaps 
275,000  Mohammedans  and  some  25,000 
Armenians,  Parsees,  and  Jews.  The  European 
colony,  while  small,  has  always  been  a  potent  factor 
in  the  social,  business,  and  at  times  political  life,  of 
the  place.  As  time  is  counted  in  Persia,  it  is  a 
modern  city,  not  being  much  older  than  Washing- 
ton. Yet  for  many  centuries  there  has  been  a  town 
of  more  or  less  importance  in  the  vicinity,  the  most 
interesting  and  important  having  been  Rhe  (the 
Rhages  of  Scripture),  which  was  probably  con- 
temporary with  Ecbatana  and  Nineveh,  and  which 
it  is  claimed  had  a  million  or  more  of  inhabitants. 
But  fab'.e  and  obscurity  have  so  clothed  the  history 
of  the  Parthian  Kings  that  we  will  leave  the  history 
of  their  capital  to  those  endowed  by  nature  with  a 
lucid  imagination,  and  confine  ourselves  to  the  more 
prosaic  subject,  vis.,  the  Shah's  Capital. 

It  was  a  small  town,  with  houses  built  of  mud, 
when  Shah  Aga  Mohammed  Khan,  founder  of  the 
Kajar  dynasty,  established  his  capital  there.  This 
special   locality   was   chosen   because  the   Elburz 

88 


84    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

Mountains  on  the  north  afforded  a  wall  of  defence 
against  a  Russian  invasion,  and  at  the  same  time 
afforded  shelter  against  the  fierce  north  winds  that 
sweep  across  the  highlands  in  winter.  It  was 
intendetl  only  as  a  winter  capital,  the  summers  of 
the  Court  being  spent  at  Sultaneah  and  in  the  moun- 
tains. Indeed,  the  Court  now  leaves  the  city  about 
the  beginning  of  June  and  remains  away  until 
October.  The  Persian  has  always  been  a  nomad, 
and  lives  as  much  as  possible  out-of-doors. 

But  Teheran  to-day  is  a  very  different  place  from 
what  it  must  have  been  a  hundred  years  ago.  From 
a  small  mud  village  on  a  stony  plain,  it  has  grown 
until  now  it  is  over  four  miles  in  diameter.  The 
circular  wall  which  surrounds  it  is  pierced  by  thir- 
teen gates,  covered  with  gaudy  tile,  through  which 
great  crowds  constantly  pass  and  repass.  Extensive 
gardens  have  been  recently  laid  out  for  several  miles 
about  the  city,  many  containing  large  and  palatial 
suburban  homes. 

There  are  twenty  miles  of  bazaars,  filled  with  all 
sorts  of  goods,  brought  from  the  four  corners  of 
the  earth.  Many  of  these  bazaars  are  covered 
streets,  on  either  side  of  which  are  small  shops.  The 
modern  arcade  of  Western  architecture  is  taken  from 
these  Oriental  bazaars.  Nothing  could  be  of  more 
interest  to  the  Westerner,  and  I  might  at  the  same 
time  say  more  exasperating,  than  a  visit  to  these 
centres  of  trade.  Most  of  the  shops  are  small,  but 
one  cannot  judge  in  Persia  by  exteriors,  and  some  of 


THE   SHAH'S   CAPITAL 


85 


these  shops  that  aj       r  mean  and  small  represent 
a  surprisingly  large  investment  of  capital.    Almost 
any  article  desired  can  l)e  found  in  this  subterranean 
mart,  if  one  knows  whfe  to  look  for  it.    This  is 
not  always  easy,  because  a  hardware  merchant  not 
infrequently  carries,  as  a  side  line,  English  shoes, 
while  I  have  been  told  by  a  shoe  merchant  that  his 
best  profits  were  made  on  opium  and  liquor.     No 
one  is  ever  expected  to  pay  the  first  price  asked  by 
the  shopkeeper.     Not  infrequently  many  times  the 
true  value  is  demanded,  and  those  who  are  simple 
enough  to  pay  it  are  at  once  branded  as  easy  vic- 
tims for  the  future.  Often  servants,  and  others  act- 
ing as  interpreters  for  the  newcomer,  insist  on  a 
fabulous  price  being  charged  and  later  drop  around 
and  divide  the  profit.    Of  course,  these  things  take 
place  largely  in  the  petty  transactions  with  the  small 
shopkeeper,  although  the  man  dealing  in  sums  re- 
quiring six  and  more  figures  is  not  proof  against 
m<idokhal  or  graft.    Indeed,  ten  per  cent,  is  always 
claimed   by  the   servant   who  buys   the   simplest 
article  for  the  household. 

Even  the  professions  are  tinged  with  this  idea 
of  questionable  gain.  Some  years  ago  a  true 
son  of  Iran,  a  well-known  hakim  or  doctor  of 
good  reputation,  appeared  at  the  door  of  my 
cfiice  to  ask  me  to  go  in  consultation  with  other 
physicians,  the  patient  being  a  well-known  prince 
living  on  the  west  side.  I  being  new  in  deal- 
ing with  these  bland  but  clever  rogues,  did  not  sus- 


i  m 


l\. 


\v 


•  «  1.   *  •»  '-t-r-  ■5b' 


86    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


pect  at  that  time  that  there  was  anything  wrong. 
He  said  that  the  patient  had  been  ill  for  a  long 
time  and  had  been  greatly  reduced  financially  by 
reverses.  With  a  profound  bow  he  asked  me  to 
accept  a  little  more  than  half  the  usual  fee,  all  the 
poor  man  was  able  to  pay,  he  said,  and  took  his 
departure. 

The  consultation  was  held,  but  instead  of  find- 
ing a  poor  man  we  were  taken  to  the  home  of 
a  prince  living  in  luxury  and  elegance.  Several  of 
my  European  colleagues  were  present,  and  the 
prince  desired  us  to  see  him  from  time  to  lime. 
When  he  settled  his  account  he  mentioned  fifty 
krans  which  he  had  sent  in  advance  by  the  above- 
mentioned  Persian  doctor.  I  told  him  only  thirty 
krans  had  reached  me,  and  it  afterwards  came  out 
that  the  Persian  had  made  twenty  krans  from  each 
consultant !  Indeed,  he  had  insisted  upon  the  con- 
sultation for  this  purpose,  and  not  for  help  In  the 
case!  As  the  Persian  doctor  was  a  man  of  much 
influence  among  his  people,  and  I  was  quite  new,  I 
did  not  know  how  to  go  about  getting  the  twenty 
krans  without  giving  offence.  But  upon  reaching 
home  I  sat  down  and  wrote  him  a  delicate  epistle  in 
Persian,  a  translation  being  as  follows : 

"  To  the  most  learned  and  exalted  head  of  all 
medical  knowledge  and  pillar  of  our  most  blessed 
profession,  Mirza  Agha  Khan,  physician,  surgeon, 
and  philosopher,  peace  be  to  you  and  to  your  house 
(I  feh  like  saying  to  your  ashes) !    After  inquiring 


THE   SHAH'S   CAPITAL 


87 


concerning  the  condition  of  your  blessed  constitu- 
tion and  calling  to  mind  your  many  noble  deeds  of 
philanthropy,  I  beg  to  trouble  you  with  a  little  mat- 
ter. You  will  remember  that  on  a  certain  day  thirty 
krans  were  paid  to  me  by  a  certain  celebrated 
physician  (may  his  shadow  never  grow  smaller!), 
it  being  the  amount  sent  by  a  certain  prince  for  con- 
suhation.  It  now  appears  that  ^!ie  prince  sent  fifty 
krans,  instead  of  thirty,  and  it  is  also  well  known 
that  the  twenty  krans  must  still  exist  in  the  universe. 
As  physicians  frequently  carry  in  their  pockets 
medicine  of  a  mucilaginous  character,  it  had  oc- 
curred to  me  that  by  mistake  twenty  krans  of  the 
above  amount  may  possibly  have  stuck  in  your 
pocket.  If  you  will  kindly  take  the  trouble  and  do 
me  the  great  favour  to  turn  your  pockets  inside  out 
and  carefully  see  if  I  am  right  in  my  surmise,  you 
will  greatly  oblige  not  only  the  writer,  but  His  Ex- 
cellency the  Prince."  Without  any  evidence  of 
shame  or  embarrassment,  a  few  days  later  he  called 
and  said  I  was  right  in  my  surmise,  and  paid  the 
remaining  twenty  krans.  I  never  knew  whether  or 
not  he  refunded  the  same  amount  to  the  other  con- 
sultants. 

Much  of  the  business  in  Persia  is  transacted  out- 
side of  the  bazaars.  Street  vendors,  with  their 
loaded  donkeys,  may  be  seen  everywhere  selling  any 
and  all  sorts  of  goods.  There  is  the  man  who 
peddles  boiled  beets,  the  ice-cream  man,  the  lemon- 
ade man,  the  fruit  man,  the  bread  man,  and  others 


88    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

selling  every  sort  of  eatable.  The  cry  of  jii-jeh,  by 
the  chicken  seller,  is  a  familiar  one  to  all.  An 
analysis  of  the  ice-cream  sold  on  the  street  showed 
more  microbes  than  the  contents  of  the  open  sewer. 
It  is  generally  well  flavoured  with  rosewater,  quince 
juice,  or  melon.  Many  ladies  of  rank  have  the  mer- 
chant bring  their  goods  to  the  house,  and  this  branch 
of  the  dry  goods  trade  is  always  important.  Much 
of  this  trade  is  in  the  hands  of  Jews. 

Time  in  Persia  is  marked  according  to  the  Ori- 
ental standard,  twelve  o'clock  being  always  at  sun- 
set. Noon  is  announced  by  the  firing  of  a  cannon  in 
the  great  drill-ground.  There  is  frequently  a  differ- 
ence of  a  quarter  to  a  half  hour  on  two  successive 
days.  But  there  are  no  trains  to  catch  in  Persia,  and 
men  count  time  of  less  value  than  we  do  in  the  New 
World.  "  Fairdeh  Inshallah,  to-morrow,  if  God 
wills,  we  shall  do  so  and  so,"  is  the  favourite  expres- 
sion of  many. 

Westerners  residing  in  the  dry  highlands  of  cen- 
tral Asia  usually  become  very  nervous,  and  in  a  few 
years  must  return  to  a  lower  altitude  and  a  climate 
more  humid.  Not  so,  however,  with  the  Persian, 
who  always  keeps  his  nerve  and  usually  his  good 
humour,  so  long  as  he  is  not  hurried.  About  the  only 
thing  that  is  done  quickly  in  Persia  is  a  funeral ! 
Some  years  ago,  a  mason  working  on  a  stable  near 
our  hospital  fell  from  the  wall  and  was  killed  shortly 
after  ten  o'clock,  and  at  noon  he  had  been  buried 
and  the  men  were  back  at  work. 


THE    SHAH'S    CAPITAL 


89 


1 


In  one  of  the  towers  in  Teheran  is  a  clock  which 
must  be  wound  every  eight  days,  and  a  special  man 
is  employed  to  perform  this  arduous  task ;  on  Mon- 
day he  winds  the  clock,  and  patiently  smoking  his  pipe 
for  a  week,  watches  it  run  down.  He  is  said  to  be 
the  most  contented  servant  in  the  town,  and  is  the 
envy  of  many  whose  lines  have  not  fallen  in  such 
pleasant  places. 

But  we  must  not  think  that  there  are  no  serious 
and  busy  men  in  Iran.  A  great  many  examples 
might  be  given  of  men  who  valued  time  and  con- 
verted it  into  money.  The  Arbab-Jamshid,  the 
leading  Parsee  merchant  in  Teheran,  only  a  few 
years  ago  was  in  the  employ  of  others  at  a  nominal 
salary  as  a  scribe.  To-day  he  is  counted  one  of  the 
richest  and  most  influential  men  in  Persia.  Not 
only  is  he  considered  capable  in  financial  matters, 
but  in  political  as  well,  having  been  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  first  parliament.  Simple  and  democratic 
in  his  tastes,  he  is  known  as  the  friend  of  the  poor 
and  the  benefactor  of  his  own  people.  On  more 
than  one  occasion  has  the  writer  in  his  professional 
capacity  known  of  the  generosity  of  this  gentleman 
to  the  poor  and  needy.  Others  might  be  named 
among  the  Armenian  and  Mohammedan  merchants 
for  their  unostentatious  acts  of  benevolence,  and 
their  evident  ability  to  deal  with  large  business 
questions. 

Nearly  all  the  native  business  men  have  their 
offices  in  large  caravansaries  in  the  bazaar.     Tiiere 


;T 


90    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

is  less  form  and  ceremony  in  these  places  of 
business  than  one  finds  at  home.  No  matter  how 
weighty  the  matters  may  be  that  are  under  consid- 
eration there  is  always  time  for  a  cup  of  tea  and  the 
ever-present  kalyan  or  water-pipe.  And  who  can 
say  but  that  many  an  American  business  man  would 
be  a  more  agreeable  husband  and  citizen  if,  when 
crowded  and  pressed  by  momentous  and  overwhelm- 
ing financial  matters,  he  would  stop  long  enough  for 
the  blood  to  cool  a  little  and  the  nerve  cell,  that  is 
crying  out  for  rest,  to  regain  its  poise,  and  take  a 

cup  of  tea. 

There    are    no    saloons    in    Persia,    although 
liquor  is  sold  in  many  of  the  shops  and  stores. 
The  common  people  drink  the  ordinary  arak,  a 
distillation    from   raisins,   containing    from  thirty 
to  fifty  per  cent,  of  alcohol.     A  good  deal  of 
native  wine  is  also  drunk.    It  is  needless  for  me  to 
remark  here  that  the  effects  of  alcoholic  drinks  is  not 
less  deleterious  and  pernicious  in  the  East  than  in 
America.    Indeed,  it  is  in  some  ways  more  harmful 
than  the  eating  of  opium,  although  it  cannot  in  any 
way  be  compared  with  the  evils  of  the  opium-pipe. 
The  use  of  alcoholic  drinks  has  been  growing  for 
some  years  among  the  Mohammedans,  who,  when 
habit  is  once  established,  rarely  quit  it.    There 
,  however,  those,  indeed,  I  might  say  many,  who 
solemnly  abjure  the  use  of  spirituous  drinks  of  all 
kinds  and  deplore  their  sale  in  the  open  market.  Un- 
fortunately, many  of  those  who  realize  the  mis- 


THE   SHAH'S   CAPITAL 


91 


chievous  effects  of  alcohol  see  little  harm  in  the  use 
of  opium.  The  difference  in  their  minds  is  largely  a 
religious  one,  because  the  Koran  condemns  the  use 
of  alcohol,  but  says  nothing  about  opium.  It  is 
unfortunate  that  among  the  Armenians  the  same 
religious  prejudice  does  not  exist,  as  alcohol  has 
always  been  a  curse  to  that  clever  people,  although 
it  may  be  said  to  their  credit  that  the  use  of  opium 
is  practically  unknown  amongst  them.  The  Ori- 
ental who  does  not  smoke  is  the  exception.  Snuff 
is  also  used  by  many,  but  the  habit  of  chewing  the 
weed  is  unknown.  Nc  house  is  considered  fur- 
nished without  a  number  of  water-pipes  and  cigar- 
ette cases.  The  tea-house,  found  on  almost  any 
corner,  is  the  rendezvous  for  all  who  are  idle.  At 
these  places  food,  alcohol,  opium,  and  tobacco  are 
dispensed  as  well  as  tea. 

In  Teheran,  there  is  a  system  of  horse-cars  that 
is  largely  patronised  by  the  common  people.  It  is 
the  opinion  of  those  who  ought  to  know  that  a  trol- 
ley system  could  be  set  up,  the  power  being  fur- 
nished from  Paskulleh,  a  splendid  waterfall  some 
fifteen  miles  from  the  city.  Several  large  factories 
have  been  attempted  in  Teheran,  but  have  been 
doomed  to  disappointment,  because  the  price  of 
coal  is  prohibitory,  it  often  selling  as  high  as  fif- 
teen dollars  per  ton.  The  city  of  leheran  is  well 
suited  for  a  trolley  system,  many  of  the  streets 
being  wide  and  level.  At  present  all  who  can 
afford    it    patronise    public    carriages,    of    which 


92     TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


there  are  said  to  be  more  than  five  hundred  at  the 
pubHc  stands. 

The  only  two  things  that  are  cheap  in  Teheran 
seem  to  be  human  life  and  horses.     The  price  of  the 
life  of  the  ordinary  peasant  has  been  determined  at 
the  low  figure  of  thirty-five  dollars,  and  a  good  horse 
can  be  bought  for  less  than  twice  that  sum.    And  yet 
living  for  both  man  and  beast  is  not  less  expensive 
in  Teheran  than  in  many  parts  of  our  own  country. 
Indeed,  many  communities  throughout  the  Orient 
could  be  supported  upon  what  the  farmers  of  a 
single  county  in  America  annually  waste.    Unques- 
tionably many  perish  in  Teheran  each  year  from 
starvation,  and  it  is  no  unusual  sight  to  see  a  half- 
starved  invalM  lying  by  the  wayside.    During  the 
bitter  cold  months  of  winter  we  often  found  these 
cases  at  our  hospital  gate.    These  instances  became 
so  frequent  that  we  had  a  special  room  built,  where 
we  could  offer  them  shelter  and  food. 

There  is  no  middle  class  in  Persia,  as  we  under- 
stand the  term,  the  people  being  either  rich  or  poor. 
The  wealth  of  the  upper  classes  consists  largely  in 
agricultural  lands  worked  by  the  peasants.  There 
is  no  system  of  direct  taxation,  as  villages  and  farm- 
ing districts  are  sold  for  a  term  of  years  to  the  high- 
est bidder,  who  is  responsible  to  the  government  for 
a  lump  sum.  The  landlord  appoints  a  steward  to 
manage  the  village  or  estate,  and  collects  a  heavy 
tax  from  the  toiler.  The  result  is  that  the  peasant 
remains  poor  while  the  landlord  becomes  rich. 


THE   SHAH'S   CAPITAL 


93 


To  the  ordinary  Persian,  Teheran  represents  all 
that  Paris  does  to  the  Frenchman.  It  is  his  ambition 
to  have  a  town  house  as  well  as  a  country  seat.  Be- 
cause this  plan  has  been  followed  by  many,  the 
city  has  constantly  grown  at  the  expense  of  the 
country,  but  the  unjust  steward  is  wise  in  his  gen- 
eration, and  while  he  spends  thousands  of  tomans 
upon  an  elegant  home,  surrounded  by  gardens  of. 
roses  and  tall  chinars,  he  surrounds  the  whole  with 
the  most  shocking  mud  wall  imaginable.  In  a  land 
where  no  citizen  is  exempt  from  oppression,  it  is  not 
always  safe  to  display  one's  wealth,  and  hence  the 
mud  wall.  But  this  is  not  the  only  reason,  for  the 
Persian  is  poetic  in  his  very  nature,  loving  the  trees 
often  planted  with  his  own  hands,  the  rosebushes 
that  bloom  all  the  year,  all  watered  by  the  rushing 
little  irrigating  ditch  that  hurries  swiftly  along, 
bringing  refreshment  and  verdure  wherever  it  goes, 
It  rarely  rains  in  Teheran  from  June  until  late  in 
November,  and  the  gardens  which  have  transformed 
the  dry  and  weary  land  into  a  mighty  oasis  are 
nourished  by  a  system  of  subterranean  aqueducts 
called  kanats.  These  conduits  draw  their  water 
supply  from  the  Elburz  Mountains,  twelve  to  fifteen 
miles  away.  The  city  is  fairly  well-supplied  with 
water,  most  of  the  better  streets  being  regularly 
irrigated.  Some  of  the  gardens  are  beautiful.  The 
soil  everywhere  is  very  fertile,  and,  when  well- 
watered,  will  grow  all  the  fruits  and  vegetables 
found  in  our  Southern  States. 


,s 


94 


TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 


Nearly  all  the  better  houses  in  Teheran  consist  of 
a  bemon  and  anderoon.    The  beroon.  from  which 
tvomen  are  excluded,  is  used  by  the  master  of  the 
house   for  the  reception   of   Ins   S-^^}^ J^\^l 
transaction  of  most  of  his  private  business     It  is 
us^l  y  degantly  furnished,  with  European  fixtures 
f  om  V   nna  or'paris.  and  consists  of  several  large 
ooms  which  may  be  utilised,  if  occasion  demands, 
for  g  V  ng  parties    In  case  an  official  dinner  is  given 
n  the  beroon.  none  of  the  ladies  of  the  anderoon  are 
evr  present.    It  frequently  happens  that  European 
ladies  with  their  husbands  attend  these  functions 
and.  after  the  dinner  is  over   ^/e  mvited  into   he 
anderoon  to  meet  the  ladies  of  the  household     ^^n 
are  never  allowed  in  the  harems  or  anderoons  unless 
they  be  physicians  or  priests,  in  which  case  they 
are  accompanied  by  the  trusted  chamberlain 

Polygamy,  which  formerly  was  universal,  has  in 
a  large  measure  been  given  up  by  the  better  classes, 
and  the  wives  and  families  are  constantly  oeing 
given  more  liberty  .ad  freedom.    This  is  especially 
the  case  in  the  larger  places,  and  it  is  the  opinion  of 
those  in  a  position  to  know  that  the  emancipation  of 
women  from  the  restricted  life  of  the  harem  is  com- 
ing in  Persia  as  fast  as  the  women  themselves  are 
ready  for  it.    A  great  work  of  education  must  first 
be  done  before  they  will  be  able  to  discern  the  dif- 
ference between  license  and  liberty.  One  bold  spirit, 
a  sort  of  suffragist,  published  a  bitter  artice  m 
a  Persian  newspaper  recently,  in  which  she  calls  to 


THE    SHAH'S    CAPITAL         95 

mind  the  sad  state  of  her  sisters  in  Persia.  It  is  a 
hopeful  sign  when  these  bold  spirits  arise  and  de- 
mand the  commonest  rights  which  have  so  long  been 
denied  them,  A  few  years  ago,  one  of  the  daugh- 
ters of  Nasr-ed-Din  Shah  threw  aside  her  veil  and 
chuddar  and  went  to  Europe  "  to  learn  something," 
as  I  heard  it.  The  veil  and  chuddar  of  the  Persian 
women  are  not  only  very  disagreeable  to  the  eye  but 
more  so  to  the  wearer.  It  affords  little  protection  to 
the  head  from  the  burning  sun,  with  the  result  that 
the  wearer  is  often  subject  to  severe  attacks  of  head- 
ache. The  short  skirt  and  trousers  worn  in  the 
home  are  about  the  limit  of  all  that  is  disgraceful. 

It  has  been  well  written  that  "  Out  of  the  heart 
are  the  issues  of  life;"  hence,  the  great  reforms  that 
are  to  come  to  Persia  must  centre  about  the  home, 
and  it  is  hard  for  us  to  conceive  of  a  home  without 
the  enlightened  mother  and  wife.  Not  a  few  of  the 
Persian  women  realise  this  truth,  and  are  making 
every  endeavour  to  obtain  education  and  knowledge. 
In  every  country  women  are  great  factors  in  the 
social,  political,  and  even  business  life,  and  in  this 
regard  the  history  of  Persia  shows  that  it  is  not  to 
be  an  exception,  although  there  is  a  mighty  need  of 
advancement. 

The  citadel  in  Teheran,  in  which  are  located  the 
Palace  and  public  offices,  was,  when  first  built,  on 
the  upper  side  of  the  town;  but  now  the  city  has 
grown  until  it  is  quite  in  the  centre.  It  contains 
probably  fifteen  or  twenty  acres,  and  is  surrounded 


96    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

by  a  double  wall.    In  this  enclosure,  called  "  The 
Ark  ••  lives  the  king  with  his  numerous  household. 
Like  other  Persian  houses,  the  Palace  contains  a 
bcrooii  room  atid  anderoon  or  harem.    The  beroon 
consists  of  a  dozen  or  more  large  reception  rooms 
and  a  number  of  smaller  ones,  all  built  around  a 
large  court.  A  great  deal  of  money  has  been  spent 
to  bring  furnishings  from  Europe  and  yet  the  choic- 
est pieces  in  the  Palace  are  some  Persian  rugs.  The 
rooms  are  all  lighted  by  electricity  from  the  Shah  s 
electrical  plant.    In  one  of  the  rooms  there  are  more 
than   four  hundred   incandescent  burners.     It   is 
worthy  of  remark  here  that  the  man  who  manages 
this  plant  is  an  Armenian.    Not  only  are  the  build- 
ings and  the  grounds  of  the  citadel  lighted  by  elec- 
tricity but  His  Majesty's  meals  are  often  prepared 
on  an 'electrical  range  in  one  of  the  large  drawing- 
rooms.    I  remember  once  being  present  when  Mu- 
zaffar-ed-Din  Shah  ordered  his  evening  meal,  which 
was  cooked  in  his  presence  by  a  celebrated  Persian 
chef.     At  that  time  lights  were  kept  burning  all 
night  in  the  garden,  as  it  was  the  custom  of  the 
king  to  arise  frequently  in  the  middle  of  the  night 
for  a  short  walk. 

The  Museum,  or  large  reception  room,  has 
been  so  frequently  described  that  it  is  unnecessary 
for  me  to  dwell  upon  it  here.  It  is  in  this 
room  that  the  Diplomatic  Corps  is  received,  and 
it  is  the  most  pretentious  room  in  the  Palace.  The 
floor  is  laid  with  glazed  tile,  the  arched  ceiling  and 


;i 


KUVAI.  (,\l<lii:\S.  Ti;ilKRAN'. 

Pal.'u'r  in  tlu*  'li-^tam-o. 


r.ACH  i:  siiAU. 

A  favorite  retreat  <<{  llie  late  Sliah  lunr  Telieran.  Tlie  statue,  repre- 
sentiriR  .\asreil-l>in,  Sliali,  on  horseliaek,  is  tlie  wurk  uf  a  IVrM.m 
sculntor. 


THE   SHAH'S   CAPITAL 


97 


pillars  are  in  harmony,  and  the  windows  are  of  plate 
glass.  It  is  filled  with  all  sorts  of  curios,  including 
advertisements  familiar  to  all  magazine  readers. 
Some  of  the  articles  are  of  great  value,  such  as  the 
famous  "  Peacock  Throne,"  covered  with  all  kinds 
of  precious  stones,  .-ind  said  to  be  valued  in  the  mil- 
lions. There  is  also  a  famous  globe  covered  with 
precious  gems,  the  various  continents  being  inlaid 
with  different  coloured  stones.  But  to  the  mind  of 
n.ost  visitors  there  is  nothing  in  the  Palace  so  pleas- 
ing as  the  rich  rugs  of  Iran.  The  late  Shah  added 
a  music  and  billiard  room,  where  he  spent  many  of 
his  evenir'^s. 

The  ai.  roon  is  just  north  of  the  beroon,  and  has 
accommouations  for  a  dozen  families,  including 
their  servants  and  attendants.  It  is  built  around  a 
square,  much  like  ordinary  two-story  flats  in  our 
American  cities.  In  the  centre  of  the  square  the 
king  has  a  fine  and  substantial  residence.  Around 
this  separate  enclosure  is  a  high  wall,  the  doors 
being  always  guarded  by  a  trusty  chamberlain, 
usually  an  African  slave. 

The  Shah's  college,  attended  by  a  large  num- 
ber of  students,  is  also  within  the  citadel.  This 
college  has  a  good  building  and  a  fair  equip- 
ment, but  there  has  always  been  difficulty  in 
the  management  and  discipline  of  the  school. 
Still  a  great  deal  of  good  work  has  been  done. 
Recently  the  medical  department  has  been  reor- 
ganised, under  the  direction  of  some  able  French 


h 


if 


i  >l 


98    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

physicians.  There  is  also  a  military  department, 
another  of  music  and  drawing,  engineering,  minmg, 
and  possibly  others.  The  agricultural  school  is  at 
the  garden  of  Negaristan.  The  library  has  a  good 
many  European  books;  the  only  American  article 
that  I  saw  in  the  room  was  a  large  missionary  map 
of  the  world,  made  in  New  York  in  1856.  On  the 
face  of  this  map  were  the  words,  "  Go  ye  therefore 
and  teach  all  nations,"  etc. 

Adjoining  the  school  are  the  buildings  of  the 
English  Telegraph  Co.     Messages  for  India  and 
Australia,  sent  by  the  Indo-European,  are  re-sent 
from  Teheran.    This  requires  a  rather  large  force 
of  clerks.    The  European  Colony  are  under  many 
obligations  to  the  various  officials  of  this  department 
for  news  of  the  outside  world,  the  Public  Nczvs, 
a  little  sheet,  being  published  daily  in  English  and 
French.    These  items  of  news  of  course  cannot  be 
printed  in  Teheran  until  after  they  have  been  pub- 
lished in  India,  but  we  generally  got  American  news 
within  twenty- four  hours. 

Above  the  telegraph  offices  is  the  public  square, 
called  the  Tope-Maidan,  which  has  become  the  centre 
of  the  city.  From  it,  streets  diverge  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  it  is  the  centre  for  horse-cars  and  car- 
riages to  any  part  of  the  city.  The  only  business 
house  opening  into  the  square  is  the  Imperial  Bank 
of  Persia,  occupying  large  and  spacious  grounds  to 
the  east.  Near-by  is  the  Post  Office  and  a  depart- 
ment of  the  Custom  House,  in  the  Rue  Lalah  Zar, 


J: 


13 


THE    SH>H'S   CAPITAL         99 

the  principal  street  for  European  shops.  A  block 
west,  leading  north  into  the  European  quarter,  is  the 
Khaiban  Ala  Dovleh,  sometimes  given  the  name  of 
Lc  Boulevard  des  Ambassadeiirs  by  our  French 
friends.  Several  of  the  legations  at  the  Turkish 
Embassy  are  on  this  street.  The  English  legation, 
at  the  head  of  the  street,  occupies  a  large  compound, 
one  of  the  most  pleasing  and  attractive  gardens  in 
the  city,  in  which  live  the  Minister  and  the  various 
attaches.  The  homes  in  this  legation  are  most  com- 
fortable, and  afford  the  sojourner  in  Persia,  weary 
of  Oriental  scenes,  a  glimpse  of  home.  Our  own 
country  has  never  owned  a  home  for  its  Minister, 
and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  have  always  had  to  float,' 
in  Teheran,  over  a  liired  house. 

The  American  Mission  is  on  the  edge  of  the 
European  Colony,  and  in  its  compound  is  the  Amer- 
ican Chapel,  where  the  Protestants  of  the  city  wor- 
?'''n.  It  contains  three  acres,  and  the  trees  have 
grown  until  it  has  become  a  pleasing  garden.  Be- 
sides the  chapel,  there  are  the  schools  for  boys, 
another  for  girls,  and  several  residences.  The 
American  Hospital  occupies  a  compound  of  its  own, 
some  two  miles  away,  in  another  part  of  the  city! 
The  Roman  Catholics  have  a  neat  ch?pel  just  off 
the  Rue  Lalah  Zar,  where  the  Europeans  holding 
that  faith  worship.  The  Greek  Catholics  meet  for 
prayer  at  their  own  Russian  chapel. 

The  government  of  Telieran  is  carried  on  by  a 
governor  or  mayor,  appointed  by  the  Crown.  Under 


k 


f  -I 


100    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

him  are  the  various  city  offices,  the  most  important 
perhaps  being  the  poHce  department.    Much  of  the 
revenue  of  the  city  passes  through  the  governor's 
hands,  and  the  office  has  been  in  years  past  a  very 
lucrative  one;  at  one  time  it  was  reported  to  be 
worth  almost  as  much  as  the  salary  of  the  President. 
The  police  are  assisted  in  their  work  by  the  night 
watchmen,  who  go  about  pounding  the  wall  with 
their  clubs  and  singing  at  the  top  of  their  voices.    A 
small  tax  or  present  is  paid  by  each  household  to 
this  disturber  of  their  sleep.    Should  they  by  chance 
make  an  arrest,  the  thief  must  be  held  until  morn- 
ing, as  there  is  no  patrol  waggon.    Punishment  is 
often  inflicted  by  public  whipping,  usually  by  the 
bastinado.     This  is  sometimes  used  to  obtain  evi- 
dence.    Many  of  the  punishments  are  most  cruel, 
and  the  prisons  are  intolerable  to  even  the  most 
hardened. 

Often  the  prisoners  are  oflFered  such  a  poor 
quality  of  food  that  they  are  unable  to  eat  it,  and 
even  were  they  to  partake  of  it  their  weakened 
digestive  systems  could  not  assimilate  it.  On  more 
than  one  occasion  were  patients  sent  to  our  hospital 
who  had  been  almost  starved  in  the  prison.  Usually, 
the  friends  of  the  prisoners  bring  food  to  them.  In 
view  of  these  conditions  it  becomes  more  human  to 
resort  to  the  whipping-post,  for  while  the  pu.nish- 
ment  is  severe  there  is  no  permanent  damage  done  the 
culprit.  Besides,  in  Persia,  it  is  no  disgrace  to  be  sent 
to  prison,  as  many  of  the  best  men  in  the  community 


THE    SHAH'S    CAPITAL 


101 


have  at  some  time  in  their  life  been  arrested  on  some 
charge  or  other,  often  of  no  importance  whatever. 
For  many  years  past,  life  in  Teheran  has  been  just 
as  safe  as  in  most  cities  of  its  size  in  Europe  or 
America.  It  would  seem  that  murders  were  less 
frequent  in  Teheran  than  in  many  other  places  of 
equal  size  and  importance.  It  may  be,  however, 
that  we  do  not  hear  of  many  crimes  that  take  place, 
because  these  things  are  not  published  in  the  daily 
papers. 


,1 


til 


f  i\ 


t     I 


f 


'7  )l 


VI 

THE  ENVIRONS  OF  TEHERAN 

THE  winter  climate  in  the  Persian  capital 
is  always  fine  until  after  Christmas,  when 
there    is    some   cold    weather.      Indeed, 
January  and  February  have  many  sunny  days  and 
would  be  most  agreeable  were  it  not  for  the  muddy 
streets  that  prevent  one  from  getting  out-of-doors. 
Some  one  who  has  kept  an  account  has  sta'cu  that 
there  are  usually  more  than  three  hundred  cloudless 
days  in  Teheran  during  the  year.    From  the  begin- 
ning of  June  until  the  end  of  November  there  is  no 
rain.    In  January  and  February,  there  is  always  ice 
and  snow,  although  the  thermometer  rarely  reaches 
ten  degrees  above  zero,  Fahrenheit.     By  building 
high  walls  on  the  south  side  of  the  ponds  and 
ditches,  which  protect  them  from  the  rays  of  the 
sun,  sufficient  ice  is  obtained  for  the  summer.    It  is 
often  of  a  very  poor  quality,  and  cannot  be  used  in 
drinking   water,   as   the   ponds    from   which   it   is 
obtained  are  often  filled  with  dirt,  and  it  necessarily 
becomes  a  source  of  all  sorts  of  illnesses.     Few 
Europeans  are  brave  enough  to  risk  the  tempting 
sherbet  and  other  delicious  drinks  made  from  un- 
boiled water  and  ice  from  these  ponds.     Fatalism 

102 


ENVIRONS   OF   TEHERAN     108 

has  so  taken  hold  of  the  Mohammedan  servant  that 
It  IS  hard  to  make  him  think  otherwise  than  that 
the  heahh  of  us  all  depends  much  more  upon  Allah 
than  upon  boiled  water. 

The  summers  in  Teheran,  on  account  of  the  long 
dry  hot  season,  are  very  trying,  and  as  a  result  most 
of  the  Europeans  go  to  the  near-by  hills,  where  in 
villages  of  gardens  they  find  cool  retreats.  This 
cooler  region  is  rendered  so  by  its  p.oximity  to 
the  Elburz  range  of  mountains,  which  at  this  point 
are  about  eleven  thousand  feet  high,  and  covered 
most  of  the  year  with  snow.    The  Shimran  region, 
which  begins  only  six  miles  from  the  city,  covers 
almost  as  much  territory  as  an  ordinary  county  in 
America,  has  many  villages  in  it,  most  of  which 
have  an  abundance  of  pure  water,  fresh  from  the 
snow-fields,  and  also  plenty  of  shade.    Some  years 
ago,  the  Shah  gave  the  vil'age  of  Gulhac  to  the 
British  Government  for  the  use  of  their  legation, 
and  for  the  English  subjects  residing  in  Teheran 
At  the  same  time,  just  across  the  road  from  Gulhac 
tlie  fine  village  of  Zergendie  was  assigned  for  the 
use  of  the  Russians.    Recently,  the  German  Govern- 
ment has  secured  a  large  place  nearer  the  hills- 
while  the  Turks  for  many  years  have  owned  one  of 
the  choicest  places  in  the  whole  Shimran  region. 
V\ith   a   few   other  exceptions,   all   the   European 
Colony  must  rent  a  place  for  summer.    As  the  stay 
m  the  country-  is  often  for  a  third  of  a  year,  many 
move  up  their  entire  houseliold,  with  all  their  furni- 


u 


<  < 


i    \ 


104     TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

ture  One  of  the  most  pleasant  retreats  is  found 
in  the  village  of  Gulhac.  where  there  is  an  Enghsh 
sanitary  officer,  and  where  the  government  of  the 
place  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Legation.  The  wnter. 
with  his  family,  has  spent  several  delight  ul  sum- 
mers there.  There  is  some  social  life,  which  the 
younger  members  of  a  family  always  greatly  enjoy, 
ks  will  be  shown  by  the  following  incident,  which 
1  quote  from  a  letter  written  by  our  son.  then  a  lad 

in  Gulhac :  , 

"When  I  left  the  United  States,  now  nearly 
a  year  ago.  I  was  wondering  what  fun  an  Amer- 
ican boy  and  girl  could  have  in  Persia.  On 
Thanksgiving  we  had  a  turkey,  on  Christmas  we 
had  a  tree  and  Santa  Claus,  but  for  the  Fourth  of 
July  they  told  us  we  could  not  fly  an  American  flag 
unless  we  got  special  permission  to  do  so.  I  thought 
the  Fourth  would  not  be  much  good  without    Old 

Glory.'  .    <r  u 

"  In  June,  the  weather  became  so  hot  in  Teheran 
that  we  moved  out  to  a  village  six  miles  away.    This 
village  is  called  Gulhac.  which  means  a  little  flower. 
It  looks  like  a  flower,  because  it  has  so  many  trees, 
and  is  stuck  in  between  the  mountains  like  a  bouquet 
in  a  vase.    Some  years  ago.  the  Shah  gave  it  to  the 
British  legation  for  their  summer  home,  and  so  the 
government  of  the  village  is  English.     We  are  the 
onlv  Americans  living  here,   all  the  other  people 
bein-  English  and  Persian.   The  '  Union  Jack    flies 
on  a'high  flagstaflf  all  the  time.     Now  the  question 


ENVIRONS   OF   TEHERAN     105 


of  the  Fourth  seemed  harder  than  ever,  because  to 
celebrate  with  fireworks  and  '  Old  Glory '  without 
permission,  when  all  our  neiglibours  were  English, 
might  get  a  fellow  into  trouble.  Well,  I  thought 
about  the  question  a  great  deal,  and  finally  my  sister 
and  I  decided  to  send  a  petition  to  the  British  Minis- 
ter and  tell  him  our  difficuhies.  It  happened  just  at 
that  time  that  v/e  were  invited  to  a  tea-party  at 
which  the  Minister  was  to  be  present.  We  wrote  the 
following  i^etition,  and  in  the  presence  of  our  host- 
ess and  her  guests,  my  sister  pre^ented  it  to  the  Min- 
ister on  June  25,  1904. 


te  ( 


To  His  Excellency,  Sir  Arthur  Hardinge, 
H.  B.  M.  Minister. 
Sir  :  We  are  an  American  boy  and  girl  living 
in  your  village,  and  desire  to  celebrate  the  Fourth  of 
July  by  flying  our  American  flag  and  having  fire- 
works. We  think  Gulhac  a  nice  place,  and  like  to 
live  here  very  much.  We  think  all  it  lacks  is  '  a 
Fourth  of  July.'  We  are,  therefore,  asking  to  fly 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  on  that  day.  This  seems  fair, 
because  your  proud  flag  flies  all  the  time  here  in  the 
village.  Do  you  not  think  it  would  be  nice  to  have 
both  flags  on  that  day  ?  So  we  are  asking  to  fly  our 
flag  in  our  garden,  as  we  did  in  America.  We  are 
sure  you  will  grant  this  petition. 

"  '  Your  American  friends, 

"  '  Fred  B.  Wishard, 

*■  '  Bertha  Alice  Wisiiard.' 


H 


( 1 

if 
i  i\ 
i 

t 

i  II 


I    ' 


I   I 


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106    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

"  When  the  Minister  read  the  petition  he  looked 
very  solemn  and  said  it  was  a  very  important  mat- 
ter but  he  would  telegraph  to  London  and  later  on 
would  send  us  the  answer.  He  said  there  would  be 
no  objection  to  the  fireworks,  but  the  question  of  the 
flag  was  different.  Late  in  the  evening  a  messenger 
came  with  a  large  envelope  with  the  word  '  urgent ' 
on  it.    It  also  said : 


u  < 


On  His  Britannic  Majesty's  'Service, 
British  Legation,  Teheran. 

June  25,  1904. 
"  '  Sir  and  Madam  :  With  reference  to  your  peti- 
tion dated  to-day,  I  had  the  honour  to  explain  to 
you  at  Mrs.  Odling's  tea  party  that  there  would  be 
no  difficulty  about  the  proposed  fireworks,  but  that 
I  was  not  so  sure  about  the  flag.    T  now  find  that  an 
act  of  Parliament  is  necessary,  and  that  a  British 
Minister    who    gave    similar    permission   without 
authority,  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne,  was 
condemned  on  his  return  to  England  to  be  beheaded 
for  high  treason  and  to  have  his  own  head  stuck  on 
a  flagstaff. 

"  '  We  cannot,  I  fear,  pass  an  act  through  Parlia- 
ment between  now  and  the  Fourth  of  July,  but,  in 
order  to  oblige  you.  and  show  my  sympathy  for 
America,  I  am  willing  to  take  this  serious  risk  and 
sanction  the  flying  of  the  Star-Spanglf  i  Banner  as 
proposed  uy  you.     I  hope,  under  t.ese  circum- 


ENVIRONS    OF   TEHERAN     107 

stances,  you  will  invite  me  to  witness  the  fireworks. 
I  am,  sir  and  madam,  your  obedient  servant, 

" '  Arthur  Hardinge/ 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  happy  we  were  when  this 
permission  came,  for  we  had  bought  in  Indianapolis, 
before  starting  for  Persia,  a  large,  fine  flag.  Now 
that  we  had  permission  to  fly  it,  we  hung  it  to  one  of 
the  great  trees  in  our  garden.  How  beautiful  it 
looked  in  the  bright  Persian  sunshine!  We  also 
sent  to  Teheran  for  a  lot  of  fireworks,  and  as  all  the 
roofs  in  Persia  ate  flat  and  made  of  earth,  and 
there  is  no  danger  from  fire,  we  took  them  upon  the 
housetop  and  made  them  ready  to  shoot  off  in  the 
evening. 

"At  nine  p.m.  Sir  Arthur,  with  nearly  all  the 
ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  Legation,  and  a  number 
of  other  English  friends,  came  to  our  garden,  and 
we  had  a  real  Fourth  of  July  celebration.  The 
Persians  make  fine  fireworks,  and  these  were  splen- 
did. After  the  fireworks,  we  had  some  funny 
songs,  and  then  all  sang  '  America '  and  '  God  Save 
the  King,'  and  ate  ice-cream.  I  hope  the  Minister 
will  not  have  his  head  put  on  a  flagstaff  when  he  re- 
turns to  England,  for  I  think  he  is  a  pretty  fine  gen- 
tleman.   Don't  you  ?  F.  E.  VV." 

As  these  summer  homes  in  the  hills  have  doors 
that  are  rarely  ever  closed,  there  are  many  petty 
robberies.    The  writer,  while  living  in  the  village  of 


I  H 


it 


i , 


108     TWENTY    YEARS    IN    PEllSIA 

Tajrish,   lost  some  things  once  under   somewhat 
pecuhar  and  Immorous  circumstances.    Hearing  the 
noise  at  night,  the  household  was  awakened  and  all 
went  on  the  search  of  the  thief,  but  none  could  be 
found.     After  another  hour  the  noise  was  again 
heard,  but  the  search  for  the  thief  was  in  vain.  The 
third  time  when  the  noise  was  heard  no  attention 
was  paid  to  it.  as  there  seemed  to  be  some  strange 
dogs  in  the  yard.  In  the  morning  we  found  that  the 
house  had  been  entered  and  a  considerable  quantity 
of  clothing  taken.    It  seems  that  the  thieves  who  did 
the  robbing  belonged  to  a  band  of  roving  profes- 
sional robbers,  who  were  sharing  their  plunder  with 
certain  ones  able  to  give  them  protection.    This  fact 
having  been  shown,  our  Minister,  the  Hon.  Arthur 
S.  Hardy,  collected  the  value  of  the  stolen  articles. 
The  thieves  carried  with  them  a  ladder,  and,  when 
they  found  us  awake,  they  ran  to  the  mud  roof,  pull- 
ing the  ladder  up  after  them.     We  naturally  had 
looked  everywhere  but  on  top  of  the  house  for  ihe 

culprits. 

During  the  hottest  weeks  of  summer  there  are 
perhaps  fifty  thousand  people  from  Teheran  in  the 
hills.  The  road  from  town,  upon  which  nearly  all 
must  travel  for  the  first  four  miles,  is  a  narrow  high- 
way between  two  rows  of  trees  across  the  desert. 
There  being  no  rain,  and  as  the  road  is  very  infre- 
quently sprinkled,  the  dust  is  frightful  as  those  of 
us  whose  work  makes  it  necessary  to  make  frequent 
trips  into  town  can  testify.    It  is  said  that  during  the 


ENVIRONS   OF   TEHKKAN     109 

busy  season  not  less  than  twenty  thousand  liorses 
pass  along  this  route.    Often  the  dust  is  so  bad  that 
the  driver  can  see  but  a  few  yards  ahead  of  his  team. 
On  the  right  of  the  road,  some  two  miles  from  the 
oty  gate,  is  the  Kajar  Castle,  occupying  a  splendid 
site  overlooking  the  plain  and  city.    It  was  the  fa- 
vourite country  seat  of  one  of  the  earlier  Shahs  who 
died  there,  and  since  that  time  it  has  been  allowed 
to  go  somewhat  into  ruin.    Besides,  the  fine  gardens 
with  their  palaces  at  Neaveran  and  Sultanettabad 
have  become  much  more  attractive,  being  supplied 
with  more  water  and  being  much  cooler.    Although 
the  Shah  has  more  than  a  half  dozen  charming 
retreats,  m  and  about  the  capital,  he  deserts  them 
all  in  August,  and  moves  his  court  to  the  Lar  Val- 
ley, or  to  the  slopes  of  Mt.  Demavend,  where  the 
nomadic  life  is  followed  until  the  frosts  of  autumn 
make  it  impossible  comfortably  to  remain  longer  in 
tents.     A  considerable  number  of  Europeans  also 
resort  to  the  Lar  in  midsummer  for  the  splendid 
trout-fishing  found  there. 

The  fruit  grown  in  the  hills,  consisting  of 
apples  peaches,  pears,  apricots,  and  plums,  is 
all  of  good  quality  t-nd  usually  sufficient  for 
the  markets.  At  the  village  of  Paskulleh  are 
q:rown  some  excellent  varieties  of  cherries.  There 
are  also  many  kinds  of  vegetables.  Next  to  the 
fruits,  the  cucumber  is  most  highly  prized,  and  is 
eaten  as  an  apple  with  a  little  salt.  They  seem  quite 
harmless,  so  long  as  they  are  not  made  into  salads 


I 


no 


TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


and  eaten  with  vinegar.  Tliey  are,  too,  grown  very 
quickly  in  the  strong  sun  and  seem  much  lighter 
and  more  brittle  than  the  same  vegetable  at  home. 
The  strawberries,  owing  to  the  bright  light,  soon 
lose  their  colour,  although  the  flavour  is  retained. 
There  are  also  blackberries,  .  "d  a  few  raspberries 
and  currants,  grown.  The  ^  :pe  region  is  to  the 
sduthwest  of  Teheran.  Here  enormous  quantities  of 
all  kinds  of  fruit  are  grown.  Tropical  fruits  are 
seen  only  in  the  hot-houses  in  central  Persia. 

Throughout  all  the  Shimran  region  there  are 
fairly  well-built  highways,  where  carriages  may  be 
driven,  but  the  most  pleasing  rides  and  walks  of  all 
are  found  in  the  shady  lanes  which  lead  through 
these  orchards  of  fruit-trees.  From  any  of  the  vil- 
lages there  may  be  found  abundant  opportunity  for 
ascending  the  mountain.  Some  of  these  excursions 
cannot  be  beaten  in  Switzerland.  Very  few  Euro- 
peans have  been  to  th^  tOi  )f  Mt.  Dcmavend,  al- 
though I  have  been  told  by  those  who  have  made  the 
ascent,  that,  notwithstanding  its  height,  the  excur- 
sion is  not  especially  difficult. 

One  of  the  landmarks  in  Shimran  is  the  Persian 
mint,  which  is  situated  tc  the  right  of  the  road, 
about  five  miles  from  the  city.  Here  is  coined  all 
the  Persian  silver  currency,  the  bullion  being 
brought  from  America,  largely.  Near  the  mint  is 
the  powder  factory,  and  it  should  be  said  to  the 
credit  of  those  in  charge  of  these  explosive  works 
that  there  have  been  few  accidents. 


ENVIKONS   OF   TEHERAN     111 

To  the  uast  of  the  city  are  the  gardens  of  Dochin 
Tapt'h,  a  favourite  resort  in  the  days  of  Nasr-ed- 
Diti  Shah,  who  converted  a  jwrtion  of  the  place  into 
a  Z(H.l..gicaI  g;.rdcn.  The  place  was  in  part  aban- 
doned by  his  successor,  who  a  mile  farther  up  the 
road  erected  a  palace  after  his  own  ideas.  Near 
here  is  the  race-course  where  have  been  held  the 
autumn  races,  once  an  event  of  much  imi)ortance  in 
social  circles  in  Teheran.  For  the  last  few  years 
however,  the  season  in  the  hills  has  been  closed  by 
the  fieId-si)orts  at  Gulhac. 

We  have  spoken  already  of  the  west,  north,  and 
east  suburbs  of  the  city;  now  let  us  consider  for  a 
httle  wiule  wliat  is,  in  many  ways,  the  most  interest- 
ing of  them  all-the  southern  or  Shah-Abdul-Azim 
region.    The  section  is  interesting,  because  it  con- 
tains all  that  is  left  of  ancient  Rhei.  the  celebrated 
Moslem  shrine  of  Shah-Abdul-Azim.  and  the  only 
Tower  of  Silence  remaining  in  cemral  Persia,  all 
al  lit  six  miles  from  .own.    To  reach  these  places 
one  may  take  the  tramway  to  near  the  city  gate  and 
then  the  little  railway  which  leads  to  the  shrine    The 
street-cars  all  start  from  the  Tope-Maidan.  near  the 
post  office,  and  wind  in  and  out  through  the  crooked 
streets  until  the  station  is  reached.     The  cars  are 
divided,  the  open  compartments  being  for  men  and 
the  closed  ones  for  women.    The  cars  sometimes  stop 
at  a  cafe  long  enough  for  the  passengers  to  have 
some  refreshments,  usually  a  smoke,  for  both  men 
and  women  are  patrons  of  the  long-stem  water-pipe 


I 

I; 


112    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

As  one   passes  down  the  street,  one  wonders 
what  is  behind  the  high  mud  walls.    Sometimes  tall 
sycamore  trees,  filled   with  thousands  of   singing 
birds,  overhang  the  wall,  and  we  know  that  it  is  the 
home  of  a  grandee.     Again,  a  substantial  brick 
house  lifts  its  head  high  above  the  surrounding 
buildings,  and  we  recognise  it  as    lie  home  of  a 
Persian  or  European  gentleman.    1  drther  down  the 
street,  a  door  opens  and  a  veiled  figure  steps  out  and 
enters  the  car.    Whether  she  is  old  or  young,  pretty 
or  otherwise,  is  not  for  us  to  know,  for  she  is 
encased  from  head  to  foot  in  a  black  sheet  or  chud- 
dar.   It  is  not  unusual,  when  the  car  stops,  for  a 
camel  from  a  passing  caravan  to  stick  his  -long 
stretchy  neck  in  amongst  the  passengers,  as  if  wan- 
dering what  sort  of  a  moving  creature  the  car  ii 
anyway.    The  station  is  a  well-built  brick  building, 
after  the  Russian  style,  and  the  station  master  is 
treated  with  almost  as  much  awe  and  consideration 
by  his  countrymen  as  we  in  America  show  the  con- 
ductor on  the  "  New  York  Flyer."    It  is  strange, 
but  true,  that,  all  the  world  over,  the  brass  button  is 
the  emblem  of  authority. 

On  the  railroad  in  Persia,  there  are  three  classes, 
first,  second,  and  third,  the  difference  in  the  price 
being  seven  cents.  It  is  interesting  to  see  what  a 
social  difference  seven  cents  can  make,  for  between 
the  first  and  third  classes  there  is  a  great  gulf.  It 
does  not  seem  right  to  blame  one  for  becoming  an 
aristocrat  when  he  can  do  it  for  seven  cents.    The 


ATVmAI.   n.;K.,AX-,,.\\X,,FT,|K,u,;,„..\X„S. 


i 


A    ri-RSl.W    TRAIN-. 
IWsia  lias  l,m  six  ,„il,.s  „f  railroad. 


ENVIRONS    OF    TEHERAN     113 


i 


first  class  is  more  comfortable,  and,  besides  having 
a  separate  compartment,  one  has  a  cup  of  tea 
oflfered  him.  Just  think  of  becoming  one  of  the 
privileged  class  for  seven  cents!  Perhaps,  in  this 
case,  it  is  all  it  is  worth,  after  all. 

Four  or  five  miles  out  from  Teheran  the  little  toy 
railroad  winds  in  and  out  among  what  appear  to  be 
the  foot-hills  of  the  great  Elburz  range  tliat  flanks 
the  Teheran  plain  on  three  sides.     These  hills  are 
really  artificial   mounds,   all   that   remain   of   the 
ancient  city  of  Rhages,  the  capital  of  the  Parthian 
dynasty,  that  is  said  to  have  once  had  a  million  pop- 
ulation.   No  colonnades  remain  to  mark  the  hopes 
of  this  mighty  people  that  have  long  since  passed 
out  of  historic  memory,  and  also  from  that  of  the 
occasional  traveller.     Where  once  were  fine  ave- 
nues, lined  with  the  splendid  homes  of  thv    >roud 
Parthians,  now  live  the  small  farmers  who  grow 
vegetables  for  the  Teheran  market.     Nothing  re- 
mains of  the  city's  greatness,  and  nothing  to  mark 
its  site,  save  the  eternal  foot-hills,  on  one  of  wliich 
we  found  the  remains  of  an  old  watch-tower,  over- 
looking the  road  to  ancient  Ecbatana.    It  was  not 
hard  for  one  to  picture  the  lonely  sentinel  who  had 
once  lived  in  the  tower,  and  whose  duty  was  to  keep 
an  alert  eye  on  the  road  that  wound  around  like  a 
serpent  across  the  treeless  plain.     It  was  important 
in  those  days  to  know  whether  the  traveller  was 
friend  or  foe.    To-day,  it  is  different,  and  all  about 
are  the  gardens  and  orchards,  and  not  far  away  is 


• 


)h^ 


114     TWENTY   YEA?        IN    PERSIA 

the  sacred   Mohammedan   shrine   of   Shah-Ahdul- 
Azim,  the  Mecca  for  thousaixls  of  pilgrims. 

In  one  of  the  near-by  gardens  hves  a  doctor,  whose 
two  sons  are  students  in  our  hospital.  This  good- 
natured  and  prosperous  successor  of  Avicenna  did 
us  the  honour  one  day  to  invite  us  out  to  his  country 
place  for  dinner,  which  was  served  at  noon.  Al- 
though there  were  several  American  and  English 
ladies  in  the  party,  none  of  the  women  of  the  house- 
hold appeared.  He  explained  that  "  his  wife  "  was 
ill,  but  said  nothing  about  the  other  two.  The  din- 
ner was  served  in  picnic  fashion  on  a  long  table  and 
most  of  us  stood  while  eating.  Tlie  dessert  was 
served  first,  and  the  Pienu  was  something  like  this : 

Rose  Water  Tea  Lemonade 

Candy  Ice  Cream  Walnuts 

Sour  Milk, 
with  cucumbers  sliced  in  it  Soup  and  Fish 

Chicken  with  Rice  Mutton  Chops 

Stewed  Beets 
Curry  with  Rice  Stewed  Lamb 

Partridges  Lettuce  Spinach 

Oranges,  Apples  Melons  six  months  old 

(melons  are  kept  for  many  months) 
Bread  and  Cheese  Tea    Tea    Tea 


After  dinner  we  walked  down  to  the  Tower  of 
Silence,  the  burial-place  of  the  Parsces,  or  Fire- 
Worshippers.  We  climbed  a  near-by  hill,  where  we 
could  look  down  into  this  tomb,  and  saw  some  fresh 
bodies   exposed   to   the   vultures,   of    which   there 


ENVIRONS    OF    TEHERAN     116 

seemed  to  be  (housamls  among  the  rocks  of  the 
mountain.  Tiie  tower  is  about  forty  feet  high,  in 
the  centre  of  which  is  a  great  pit.  Near  the  top. 
there  are  rafters  tliat  cross  the  tower  and  on  these 
the  (lead  are  exposed  and  abandoned.  The  pall- 
bearers are  hardly  gone  when  the  vultures  begin 
their  work.  When  the  flesh  is  removed  the  disartic- 
ulated skeleton  drops  into  the  pit  underneath. 

On  our  way  back  we  passed  a  field  wiiere  a  man 
was  ploughing.    He  was  assisted  by  three  boys,  and 
his  plough  was  drawn  by  six  large  oxen.     A  lad  of 
fifteen  in  America  would  do  more  in  a  half  day  than 
all  this  force  could  do  in  a  whole  day  with  their 
primiti\e  methods.     But  wages  are  cheap,  for  the 
boys  hardly  receive  more  than  five  cents  a  day,  and 
a  man  twice  that  sum.    The  soil  is  very  fertile,  and 
the  farmers  grow  nearly  everything  that  is  grown 
in  a  climate  like  Arizona  and  New  Mexico.     It  is 
fortunate  that  the  soil  yields  such  abundant  crops, 
otherwise  the  question  of  supplying  Teheran  with 
food  would  be  even  more  difficult  than  it  is  now. 
In  a  country  where  there  are  no  railways  there  may 
be  abundant  crops  in  one  province,  while  there  is 
famine  in  another,  owing  to  the  expensiveness  of 
transport.    The  lack  of  cheap  transport  also  favours 
those  having  means  who  desire  to  buy  up  all  the 
grain  and  corner  it.    This  is  often  done,  and  large 
sums  are  made  thereby. 

No  maize  is  grown  in  Persia,  to  speak  of.  but 
large   quantities   of   wheat    and    barley   are    pro- 


116    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


duced.     Many  people  subsist  upon  bread,  together 
with    a    few    grains,    grapes,    native    cheese,    and 
tea.      The  bread  is  usually  baked  in  long  sheets, 
somewhat    on    the    order    of    an  extended    pan- 
cake, and  looks  more  like  the   shoemakers'  sole 
leather  than  anything  else.     When  fresh,  it  is  very 
palatable  and  nutritious,  being  made  from  the  whole 
wlieat.     In  Teheran,  there  are  some  Greeks  who 
furnish  a  very  good  quality  of   European  white 
bread.     Owing    to    the    Mohammedan    prejudice 
against  pork,  no  swine  are  permitted  to  be  killed. 
Indeed,  there  are  none  in  the  country.    The  cattle 
are  of  a  poor  quality,  and  are  deemed  by  many  not 
fit  for  food.     Beef  is  always  much  cheaper  than 
mutton,  because  the  demand  for  it  is  very  light. 
All  sorts  of  stories  are  told  about  the  age  and  con- 
dition of  health  of  the  cattle  killed.    One  is  that  a 
European  matron,  hearing  that  a  beef  was  to  be 
killed  in  the  neighbourhood,  sent  her  servant  over 
to  the  place  to  bring  her  some  steak  for  luncheon. 
Noon  came  but  no  servant,  tea-time  passed  and  yet 
no  word  from  the  man.     Late  in  the  evening  he 
returned  with  an  empty  basket,  explaining  his  long 
delayed    return   by   the   remark    "Cow   got   well 
already." 

The  mutton  in  Persia  is  very  fine,  being  more 
like  our  beef  than  what  we  know  here  at  home 
as  mutton.  The  difference  between  the  American 
sheep  and  the  Persian  is  in  the  ability  of  the  latter 
to  make  a  storehouse  for  fat  out  of  their  tails.    All 


ENVIRONS   OF   TEHERAN     117 


the  sheep  in  Persia  have 


depos 


enormous  ucpusus  ui  lai 

in  their  tails  during  the  winter  and  spring  months, 
the  size  of  the  tail  indicating  the  condition  of  the 
animal,  and  determining  to  a  large  deg.ee  its  value. 
As  the  dry  season  comes  on,  and  pasture  becomes 
scarce,  this  deposit  of  fat  is  drawn  upon  to  sustain 
life,  otherwise  the  flocks  would  perish  during  the 
heated  season. 

The   fowls  of  Persia  are  not  very  good,   be- 
cause there  is  so  little  green  for  them  to  feed  upon. 
In  recent  years,  turkeys  are  being  grown  in  large 
numbers,    and    are    usually    of   excellent    quality. 
Tiie  price  of  turkey-meat  is  not  much  more  than 
that  of  mutton,   and  is  getting  more  and  more 
into  general  use.    A  very  good  quality  of  cheese 
IS   made  by  the  peasants   in   the  environs.     The 
large  fertile  district  of  Verameen.  south  of  the  city, 
furnishes  a  large  portion  of  the  food  for  man  and 
beast  that  is  consumed  in  Teheran.     Especially  is 
this  true  of  provender,  and  the  price  of  barley  de- 
pends largely  upon  the  crop  in  that  region. 

Owing  to  the  presence  of  the  Court,  and  the  large 
number  of  horses  r-ruired  for  the  army,  the  question 
of  provender  is  often  an  important  one.  I  think  that 
those  who  have  dwelt  long  in  Persia  have  reached 
the  opinion  that  the  armies  of  the  ancient  empire 
have  been  largely  over-estimated,  as  regards  num- 
ber, for  the  reason  that  the  country  could  not  have 
furnished  these  mighty  hosts  with  food  for  the  men 
and  provender  for  their  animals.    It  is  not  enou-h 


.1 


118    TWENTY  YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


to  ask  if  the  country  at  that  time  was  not  more 
prosperous,  for  there  has  been  always  a  great 
scarcity  of  water  in  the  highlands,  due  to  he  lack 
of  rainfall. 

West  of  the  city  is  the  beautiful  garden  called 
Bagh-e-Shah.  It  was  first  laid  out  as  a  race-course, 
but  later  abandoned  as  such.  The  beauty  of  the 
place  consists  in  its  abundance  of  water  and  fine 
trees.  There  is  also  a  statue  of  the  late  Nasr-ed- 
Din  Shah  in  bronze,  done  by  a  Persian.  The  figure 
represents  the  king  on  horseback,  and  is  pleasingly 
set  on  a  little  island  in  the  park,  reached  by  a  foot- 
bridge. 


VII 
TABRIZ  AND   THE   WESTERN   PROVINCES 

TAIJUrz  is  tlic  centre  of  social,  commercial, 
and  business  life  in  the  west  of  Persia,' 
and.  because  it  is  the  home  of  the  Crown 
Prince,  it  is  the  second  city  in  ix)litical  influence.  Its 
population  is  but  slightly  less  than  that  of  the  capi- 
tal, and  it  is  a  close  rival  to  it  in  all  branches  oi 
trade.  Tlie  name  in  Persian  means  the  place  of 
fever,  but  this  seems  to  be  a  nn'snomer.  because  its 
situation  on  the  highlands  is  one  of  the  most  salu- 
brious in  Persia.  It  is  the  only  place  in  the  coun- 
try away  from  the  Capital  where  an  American  con- 
sul is  located. 

Ihe  town  covers  an  immense  area,  and  has  large 
gardens,  in  which  are  the  usual  adobe  or  brick 
houses.  It  lacks  the  appearance  of  a  city,  as  we 
"nderstand  the  meaning  of  the  term,  but'  it  has 
been  for  centuries  past  a  place  of  more  or  less  im- 
portance. Earthquakes  on  several  occasions  have 
almost  destroyed  the  city,  but  each  time  it  has  been 
rebuih,  until  now  it  is  probably  larger  than  it  has 
ever  been.  From  time  to  time  earthquakes  are  felt, 
but  no  great  damage  has  been  done  for  fifty  years 
past.    One  hears  fabulous  stories  about  the  great 

119 


i.  n 


120    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


number  of  inhabitants  that  once  \i\x(\  in  Persia;  the 
different  cities  that  had  populations  hke  Chicago, 
Philadelphia,  Boston,  and  other  places  of  that  class, 
have  to-day,  but  the  writer  must  confess  that  he 
finds  it  hard  to  believe  that  Persia  ever  had  a  great 
population  and  he  is  inclined  to  the  view  that  the 
cities  of  Teheran  and  Tabriz  are  as  large  and  im- 
portant to-day  as  they  have  ever  been,  notwithstand- 
ing the  stories  about  ancient  Rhages  and  similar  ones 
about  Tabriz. 

The  language  one  hears  in  the  streets  of  Tabriz 
is  the  Turkish  that  is  spoken  throughout  the  west- 
ern provinces.  It  is  quite  different  from  that  of 
Constantinople,  and  yet  it  is  readily  understood  by 
residents  of  Turkey.  Very  little  Persian  is  spoken, 
except  at  the  court  of  the  Prince,  and  in  the  upper 
circles  of  Persian  society.  It  is  considered  by  many 
an  accomplishment,  being  a  second  language.  Some 
of  the  leading  business  men  are  Armenians,  and 
that  tongue  is  not  infrequently  heard  in  the  bazaar. 
Being  near  to  the  Nestorian  .settlements  of  Salmas 
and  Urumia,  a  goodly  number  of  Syrians  find  em- 
ployment in  Tabriz  and  use  the  Syriac  tongiie.  Of 
the  European  languages,  Russian  and  French  lead, 
but  in  the  banks,  commercial  houses,  and  tele- 
graph offices,  English  is  heard,  the  native  clerks 
having  been  trained  in  the  American  schools  for 
boys. 

Probably  the  most  interesting  sight  to  the  visitor 
at  Tabriz  is  the  bazaars.    One  cannot  help  being 


WESTERN    PROVINCES       121 

impressed  by  (he  construction  of  the  arches    the 
substantial  character  of  the  sliops.  and  the  general 
air  of  prosperity.    When  tho  writer  was  there  the 
streets  were  cr.nvded  with  throngs  of  people  from 
the  surrounding  country,  mountaineers  from  Cau- 
casia, with  their  coats  of  skin,  the  peasant  from 
the  region  of  Mt.  Ararat,  merchants  from  Tiflis  and 
other  towns  in  incient  Georgia,  a  few  Europeans 
with  pith  helmets,  and  the  townspeople,  whose  dress, 
accent,  and  general  bearing  marked  them  out  as  a 
distinct  class.    At  night  these  people  were  all  care- 
ful   about    venturing    in    the    streets,    but.    when 
tliey  did,   they  carried   immense   lanterns  of  the 
Chinese  variety.    Here,  is  elsewhere  in  Persia,  the 
size  of  the  lantern  carried  indicates  the  rank  of 
the  owner.     The  climate  is  so  fine  that,  notwith- 
standing the  unsanitary  conditions  surrounding  life 
in  Tabriz,  the  death  rate  is  not  excessively  high,  and 
the  Europeans  find  it  unnecessary  in  summer  to 
leave  the  city  on  account  of  the  heat. 

As  a  place  of  interest.  Tabriz  cannot  be  said  to 
equal  Teheran.     It  is  not,  however,  without  some 
fine  mosques,  and  the  buildings  of  the  government 
fc^r  the  use  of  the  Heir  Apparent  in  the  Northern 
Gardens,  which  are  south  of  the  city,  are  worth 
a  visit.   Here,  as  elsewhere  in  Persia.  Christians 
are  not  allowed  to  enter  the  mosques.     Indeed 
they  are  more  carefully  guarded  than  in   many 
other  places  in   Persia.     One  of  these  mosques, 
called  the  Blue  Mosque,  remains  a  ruin,  telling  a 


if 


1«2    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


story  of  the  violent  earthquakes  that  have  at  dif- 
ferent limes  shaken  the  very  foundations  of  the 
city.  It  yet  remains  an  imi)osing  pile,  covered  with 
glazed  tiles,  which  protect  the  walls  and  prevent 
them  from  disintegrating  rapidly.  The  structure  is 
said  to  have  Iwen  Intilt  four  hundred  years  ago.  but, 
like  everything  else  in  Persia  as  regards  time,  this  is 
only  an  approximation. 

The  social  life  of  the  Europeans  here  centres 
around  the  various  consulates  (of  which  the  Eng- 
lish and  Russian  are  the  most  important),  the  Mis- 
sion, and  the  European  business  interests  which  con- 
trol the  banks  and  other  commercial  enterprises. 
There  are  always  a  numlier  of  Eurojjeans,  who  arc 
employed  by  the  government  as  drill-masters,  in 
the  customs,  jxists,  and  other  official  departments 
of  government. 

The  establishment  of  the  consulate  by  the  United 
States  was  a  crying  need  for  many  years,  and  was 
only  considered  by  the  Washington  authorities  after 
one  of  its  citizens  had  been  murdered  and  the  lives 
of  all  Americans  in  the  province  were  in  jeopardy. 
It  is  an  important  post,  and  American  interests 
arc  made  much  more  secure  by  it.  Mr.  Doty, 
the  consul  entrusted  with  its  establishment, 
has  inaugurated  it  with  great  tact  and  wis- 
doiTi,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  bid  a  hearty  wel- 
come to  all  citizens  of  the  Great  Republic  who  may 
visit  Tabriz.  There  are  about  thirty  Americans, 
besides  a  number  of  children,  ijernianently  sojourn- 


! 


WESTERN     PROVINCES        123 

ing  in  the  western  provinces  that  fall  under  the  juris- 
diction of  this  consulate. 

The  whole  province  of  Azerbijan,  of  which  Ta- 
briz is  the  centre,  has  been  for  several  years  past 
greatly  disturbed.     The  caravan  route  to  Urumia, 
and  the  towns  west  of  the  lake,  have  been  for  weeks 
at  a  time  cut  off  by  roving  bands  of  brigands  and 
robbers.     The    Rev.   Benj.   Labaree,   one   of   the 
American  missionaries,  was  ruthlessly  murdered  on 
one  of  these  highways,  while  returning  from  es- 
corting to  the  frontier  a  party  of  American  ladies 
on  their  way  back  to  the  United  States.    The  dis- 
tance from  any  part  of  this  province  to  Teheran  is 
so  great,  often  requiring  a  month  to  get  a  reply 
to  letters,  that  our  Legation  found  great  difficulty 
m  dealing  with  the  questions  arising  out  of  this 
attack  upon  one  of  its  citizens;  and  this  led  to  the 
establishment  of  the  consulate  at  Tabriz.      Then 
there  is  a  growing  demand  throughout  Persia  for 
certain  American  articles,  especially  our  hardware, 
stoves,  shoes,  and  carriages,  and  this  fact  mav  have 
served  to  call  the  attention  of  the  Washington  au- 
thorities to  the  need  of  a  consul  there. 

Travellers  for  Tabriz,  Khoi,  Salmas,  and  Uru- 
mia, the  leading  places  in  Azerbijan,  leave  the  main 
branch  of  the  Transcaucasian  Railway  at  Titlis  and 
reach  the  Russo-Persian  frontier  at  a  place  called 
Jul  fa,  on  the  Aras  River,  by  a  branch  line.  The 
river  is  crossed  by  a  crude  ferry. 
The  road  down  from  Tiflis  leads  by  Mt.  Ararat, 


li'i 


:l 


i\ 


i.  i 


124    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

which  now  marks  the  corner  of  the  three  great 
divisions  of  the  nearer  East — Persia,  Russia,  and 
Turkey.  The  mountain  is  a  magnificent  pealc, 
standing  boldly  out  from  the  surrounding  ones;  it 
is  snow-covered  most  of  the  year,  and  it  is  not  hard 
to  understand  how  this  place  has  been  considered 
by  many  as  the  Ararat  of  the  Scriptures.  All  sorts 
of  legendary  narratives  bearing  upon  the  flood  are 
told  by  the  native  people.  The  mountain  may  be 
seen  for  many  miles ;  the  writer  remembers  a  gor- 
geous view  he  once  got  just  at  sunset  from  the  high 
ranges  on  the  road  near  Van. 

The  journey  from  the  frontier  formerly  required 
four  days  to  Tabriz,  three  to  Salmas,  and  five  to 
Urumia,  By  the  introduction  of  carriages  on  parts 
of  the  road,  the  building  of  some  grades  and  the 
repair  of  bridges,  the  time  has  been  reduced  con- 
siderably. The  journey  from  Tabriz  to  Urumia, 
that  once  took  five  days,  is  now  made  in  half  the 
time  by  boats  on  the  lake.  This  great  sheet  of 
water  might  be  of  immense  service  to  every  interest 
in  West  Persia  if  navigation  were  permitted  with- 
out taxation.  The  lake  is  ninety  miles  long  and 
nearly  thirty  miles  wide,  surrounded  much  of  the 
way  by  a  fertile  plain,  dotted  with  villages.  One 
strikes  the  lake  in  going  to  Urumia  from  the  fron- 
tier at  Salmas.  and  follows  its  west  shore  all  the 
way  to  Urumia.  Having  no  outlet,  it  is  too  salt 
for  any  life  to  be  found  in  it.  Indeed,  no  vegeta- 
tion grows  very  near  to  its  shores,  except  a  little 


WESTERN    PROVINCES       126 

sage-brush.  One  bathing  in  the  lake  finds  it  almost 
impossible,  owing  to  the  density  of  the  water,  to 
smk.  It  is  so  loaded  with  various  salts  and  charged 
with  sulphur  that  the  natives  frequently  bathe  in 
the  water  just  before  retiring  for  the  night,  claim- 
ing  that  no  sandfly  or  mosquito  will  come  near 
them. 

As  one  approaches  the  town  of  Urumia  the 
road  leads  through  one  of  the  pleasantest  parts  of 
Persia.  The  villages  are  numerous;  there  are  acres 
of  all  kinds  of  fruit-trees;  fields  that  year  after 
year  yield  abundant  harvest  of  wheat  and  barley 
while  the  hills  looking  out  upon  the  blue  waters 
of  the  lake  are  covered  with  locks.  The  road  winds 
in  and  out  among  the  villages,  which  seem  always 
to  be  watered  by  an  abundance  of  pure  streams 
from  the  melting  snows. 

Many  of  the  villages,  both  in  the  region  of 
Salmas  and  Urumia,  are  Nestorian.  The  American 
Mission  has  been  established  in  Urumia  since  1835, 
and  has  many  primary  schools  in  these  villages,' 
several  high  schools,  a  college,  an  excellent  hos- 
pital, and  a  printing  establishment.  There  is  also  an 
English  mission,  founded  some  twenty  years  ago, 
and  a  Roman  Catholic  mission  conducted  by  French 
priests.  Nearly  all  the  Christian  villages  have  a 
church,  and  there  has  been  great  improvement  in 
the  people  along  social  lines. 

Farther  around  the  lake  is  the  town  of  Suj  Bulak, 
where  there  has  been  for  some  years  a  small  colony 


I    I 


lae    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


of  Germans  engaged  in  philanthropic  and  other  mis- 
sionary work.  A  few  yea'-s  ago,  a  German  citizen, 
sojourning  there  for  the  study  of  the  language, 
was  murdered  by  robbers  who  broke  into  his  house 
at  night.  To  the  east  of  the  lake  is  the  town  of 
Maragha,  an  imiwrtant  centre  of  trade. 

This  whole  region  falls  under  Russian  influence, 
by  the  terms  of  the  Anglo-Russian  agreement  of 
1907.  It  is  one  of  the  best  parts  of  Persia,  and 
is  capable  of  being  greatly  de  .cloiKd  commercially. 
The  markets  of  the  various  towns  are  filled  with 
Russian  goods,  and  the  people  look  to  Russia 
largely  as  the  power  having  in  great  measure  con- 
trol over  their  interests.  Indeed,  the  geographical 
location  of  the  province  of  Azerbijan  would  seem 
to  make  Russian  influence  paramount.  Turkey  has 
been  the  only  power  that  apparently  has  questioned 
Russia's  right.  In  1906-07,  she  advanced  her 
troops  well  over  the  frontier  and  took  possession  of 
a  large  slice  of  Persian  territory.  The  whole  ques- 
tion is  now  in  the  hands  of  a  commission,  and  it  is 
not  likely,  for  several  years  to  come,  that  the  com- 
mission will  be  able  to  agree.  In  the  meantime,  the 
people  will  welcome  any  power  that  will  come  in  and 
restore  order,  render  the  highways  safe,  stay  the 
hands  of  the  Kurds  from  pillage,  arson,  and  plun- 
der, and  save  their  beautiful  country  from  utter 
destruction. 


I 


VIII 
KUM,  SULTANABAD,  AND   HAMADAN 

EARLY  one  September,  the  heat  having  some- 
what abated,  I  returned  with  my  family  to 

ran  wh  J.     T  ^'"  '^'  ""'^  '''"^^^  '"  ^^e  Shim- 
ran  where  we  had  spent  the  hottest  part  of  the  sum- 

Trln  y -"^  u"""'''  '"  Hamadan,  our  first  duty 
upon  reaching  home  was  to  prepare  for  the  overland 
journey,  of  some  two  hundred  miles  or  more  J„ 
Amenca  a  journey  of  two  hundred  miles  is  a  very 
smjple  afTa,r-an  afternoon's  outing,  a  dream-but^ 
m  Persia,  because  of  the  lack  of  any  modem  mean 

^ak  rT^!'"°"V''  "'  °""  becomes  a  serious  under- 
ak  n^.    The  roads  are  hardly  worthy  of  the  name 
nd   here  are  no  hotels,  and  in  many  places  no  food,' 

to  be  found  on  these  overland  routes  through  the 

self  vv.th  all  necessary  things  before  he  starts  In 
short,  a  complete  camping  oi.  must  be  provided 
and  across  many  of  the  small  deserts,  water  as  well' 
as  food  must  be  carried.  Then  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  men  must  accompany  the  carpvan.  for  it  is 
no  unusual  happening  for  a  few  armed  men  to 


128     TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


On  this  journey  to  Hamadan  we  chose  the  south- 
ern route  via  the  towns  of  Kum  and  Sultanabad. 
From  Teheran  to  Kum  there  is  a  well-made  car- 
riage road,  over  which  pass,  annually,  many  thou- 
sands of  pilgrims.  The  latter  place  is  one  of  the 
most  sacred  cities  in  the  Shiah  world.  The  great 
mosque,  with  its  gilded  dome,  is  a  landmark  for 
travellers  approaching  the  town  from  every  direc- 
tion. The  architecture,  as  seen  from  the  outside, 
is  very  pleasing.  All  about,  covering  many  acres, 
are  the  graves  of  those  brought  there  for  burial. 
Along  the  road  we  passed  hundreds  of  these 
corpses,  being  carried  on  the  backs  of  animals  to 
Kum  for  burial,  for  the  Moslem  believes  that  those 
buried  near  this  famous  shrine  will  be  among  the 
first  to  enter  Paradise  at  the  Resurrection.  It  was 
a  ghastly  scene,  the  carrying  of  these  dried  bodies 
wrapped  in  a  thick  blanket,  lashed  on  two  poles 
thrown  over  the  backs  of  two  horses,  and  then  at 
night  to  have  a  dozen  of  them  piled  just  below  one's 
window  at  the  inn  could  hardly  be  called  pleasant. 
One  day  we  passed  an  old  man,  quite  seventy  years 
of  age,  carrying  the  body  of  his  wife  on  the  back 
of  an  old  horse  that  he  was  leading.  As  he  trudged 
through  the  dust,  one  could  not  help  being  touched 
by  his  faithfulness  to  the  companion  of  his  life,  to 
the  last  carrying  out  of  her  wishes  as  to  burial. 
When  we  met  him,  I  stopped  and  engaged  him  in 
conversation,  and  with  tears  streaming  down  his 
face  he  told  me  that  he  had  come  from  Demavend, 


KUM,   SULTANABAD,   ETC.   IS9 

years  of  age,  he  had  walked  the  hundred  and  fifty 
7'"  '!>  ^""P')-  "■■*  >he  dying  request    The    "« 

a  house,  village,  or  s,gn  of  habitation,  everywhere 

a  passing  caravan.-certainly  makes  it  a  fit  road  for 
the  last  journey  of  the  dead. 

In  all  my  journeyings  in  the  Orient  I  hav, 
rarely  seen  a  more  desolate  and  dreary  region  Zn 
between  Teheran  and  Knm.  At  one  of T.  a^ 
mns  or  shelters,  after  the  sun  had  gone  down   w1 

breath  of  fresh  a,r.    In  this  we  were  disappointed 
or  the  heated  hills  near-by  all  nigh,  threw^  "to 
^fleeted  heat,  and  at  three  in  the  morning  we  „e"e 
glad  to  load  our  animals  and  push  on  to  the  „ex 
station  where  we  found  cooler  weather.    I,  was  a 
.1  m  las.  s,a«o„  that  I  went  across  the  road  to  at^t  e 
grocer  s  and  asked  him  what  he  had  to  eat.    He  r^ 
Pl.ed,  "  Everything;  what  would  you  like?  -  Agai^I 
rephed  by  asking  what  he  had  to  sell.    .'Oh"  he 
answered,  "  Everything"    I  ,hen  asked  him  to  be 
^cfic.  and  name  anything  ,ha,  would  aMay  th^ 
pangs  of  hunger  in  his  honourable  establishment 

quality  of  both  watermelon  and   pumnkin   ,ee,l= 
roasted  less  than  a  year  and  a  haU  ^^o,  Jd,  f 


180     TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


fact,  everything  you  want."  I  told  him  that  no 
doubt  his  honourable  pumpkin  seeds  were  far  su- 
perior to  the  filthy  lucre,  the  root  of  all  evil,  an 
article  that  could  not  be  mentioned  in  his  honour- 
able presence  without  an  apology,  but  it  was  not  con- 
ducive to  the  repose  of  the  blessed  constitution  of 
the  Frangee  or  Occidental  to  feast  upon  such 
delicacies.  I  then  asked  him  if  he  had  such  ordi- 
nary food  as  bread,  meat,  or  eggs.  Again  the  reply 
came,  "  I  have  everything  except  these  articles 
named  by  you."  I  then  called  for  cheese,  milk,  or 
fruit.  Again  he  shook  his  honourable  head,  with 
the  remark  that  some  men  have  queer  tastes.  I 
then  tried  to  suggest  to  him  that  he  ought  to  keep 
some  of  these  queer  articles  of  food  such  as  bread, 
meat,  etc.  He  replied  with  a  puzzled  expression 
on  his  face,  "  Sahib,  every  man  knows  his  own 
business  best;  but  this  road  is  only  intended  for 
the  dead,  and  they  require  little  food ! " 

After  we  left  Kum,  however,  the  scene  changed 
and  we  were  in  a  cooler  region.  Instead  of  salt 
deserts  and  scorching  sandhills,  the  road  entered 
the  mountains,  where  dashing  streams  came  rushing 
down  from  the  snow-fields  at  the  summit,  through 
groves  of  trees,  irrigating  fertile  fields  in  the  valley 
below.  As  surely  as  the  first  part  of  our  journey 
was  representative  of  death,  the  latter  was  indica- 
tive of  life.  We  stopped  over  Sunday  in  a  large 
village,  high  on  the  mountain-side,  where  the  scene 
reminded  one  not  a  little  of  some  portions  of  the 


KUM,   SULTANABAD,   ETC.    181 

Alps.  It  was  in  this  village  that  one  of  our  party 
was  awakened  in  the  middle  of  the  night  by  what 
he  thought  was  a  robber  bending  over  the  bed 
ready  to  strike  the  fatal  blow.  Calling  to  his  room' 
mate  qu.ckly  to  light  a  lamp,  they  found  that  the 
supposed  robber  and  murderer  was  only  a  harmless 
donkey  that  had  wandered  into  the  room  and  in- 

travelleT"  ^'"'"^  ^''  ^^''  "^  ^^^'"''  *^  '^''P'"S 
The  next  day  we  entered  the  province  of  Irak 
where  many  of  the  Persian  carpets  and  rugs  are 
made.    In  every  village  where  we  stopped  we  found 
a  number  of  looms.    These  were  worked  mostly  by 
women  and  girls,  receiving  not  more  than  ten  cents 
a  day  each,  and  yet  the  beauty  and  design  of  many 
of  these  rugs  showed  that  theirs  was  an  art  equal 
to  that  of  the  painter  who  receives  his  thousands 
for   a   smgle   picture.      Grapes    are    also    grown 
throughout  the  region  and  are  wonderfully  cheap. 
At  one  place  we  saw  them  being  fed  to  a  favourite 
horse  m  order  quickly  to  fatten  him.    In  many  of 
the  villages  we  saw  them  making  svrup  and  grape 
sugar.     Also,  not  a  little  wine  is  made.     But  the 
chief  mdustry  is  the  carpet  manufactures,  and  on 
a  thousand  hills  may  be  seen  the  flocks  that  supply 
the  wool  for  this  great  industry. 

At  Sultanabad,  the  capital  of  the  province,  we  had 
the  pleasure  of  a  visit  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Strauss 
managerof  the  Ziegler  Agency  of  Manchester.  Eng^ 
land,  the  largest  exporters  of  carpets  in  Persia 


i 


i!  i 


If 


138     TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

having  agencies  at  a  half-dozen  different  points  in 
various  parts  of  the  country.     Their  compound  is 
filled  with  trees,  has  an  abundance  of  water,  and 
their  hospitable  home  is  always  open  to  the  weary 
traveller.     We  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  their 
storerooms,  and  looking  over  a  large  number  of 
excellent  carpets  and  rugs.     They  handle  nothing 
but  first-quality  goo<ls,  dyeing  their  own  wool  and 
giving  it  out  to  the  villagers  who  do  the  weav- 
ing, during  the  long  winter  days,  in  their  homes. 
This  industry  furnishes  employment  to  many  peo- 
ple, and  is  a  splendid  example  of  what  similar  in- 
stitutions might  do,  in  an  industrial  way,  for  other 
provinces.     We  were  in  perhaps  a  dozen  villages, 
and  in  all  of  these  we  heard  only  words  of  praise 
for  this  company's  fairness  and  generosity.     Mr. 
Strauss,  the  local  manager,  and  one  of  the  stock- 
holders in  the  company,  is  also  British  Vice-Con- 
sul.  the  "  Union  Jack  "  flying  over  his  gateway. 

Since  I  was  there,  another  company,  composed 
largely  of  Americans,  has  sent  out  agents  to  be 
located  in  the  region.  It  is  the  greatest  carpet  dis- 
trict in  all  Persia.  It  is  unfortunate  that  European 
and  American  tastes  have  to  be  met  by  all  these 
concerns,  for  they  have  destroyed  many  of  the  more 
beautiful  patterns  that  were  formerly  seen  in 
abundance.  This  Occidental  taste  in  the  colour  and 
figure  of  these  rugs  is  paradoxical.  For  instance, 
the  same  person  who  professes  to  admire  the  old 
rugs,  mild  in  colour,  and  having  a  small  figure. 


KUM,   SULTANABAD,   ETC.    133 

will  frequently,  at  the  same  time,  demand  of  the 
dealer  a  bright  red  solid  carpet,  in  every  particular 
contrary  to  the  tastes  professed.    Many  of  the  rugs 
sent  to  America  and  sold  at  high  prices  are  trash. 
I  once  saw  a  large  rug  put  upon  the  ground  in  order 
to  have  it  used  constantly  by  frequenters  of  an  inn, 
and  so  as  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  age.    It  is 
frequently  the  case  that  these  old  rugs  are  bought 
in  homes  where  patients  have  died  from  tubercu- 
losis, smallpox,  or  other  contagious  diseases.     In- 
deed, not  infrequently  patients  have  died  on  these 
rugs,  they  having  been  used  as  beds.    The  old  rugs 
are  often  the  most  beautiful  and  pleasing,  but  one 
ought  to  be  very  careful  to  have  them  thoroughly 
d.smfected  before  taking  them  into  the  home.  Fol- 
lowing the  great  epidemics  of  cholera,  many  of  these 
rugs  were  put  on  the  market,  the  owners  having 
died.    Of  course,  the  rugs  furnished  by  the  Ameri- 
can and  European  firms  operating  in  Persia  are 
generally  new,  and  have  not  been  exposed  to  any 
of  these  things. 

It  is  about  eighty  miles  from  Sultanabad  to  Ram- 
adan. It  can  be  made,  by  taking  post  horses  and 
a  carriage,  in  twenty-four  hours.  With  a  travel- 
ling caravan,  or  with  one's  own  horses,  it  usually 
requires  three  days.  Travellers  for  Kermanshah 
may  go  via  Hamadan,  but  they  usually  leave  the 
road  at  a  place  a  little  more  than  half-way  between 
these  two  jwints.  At  one  of  the  inns  we  were 
awakened  by  a  wedding  party,  coming  at  midnight 


184     TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

to  claim  the  l)rifle.  At  another  pi.int  we  met  a 
band  of  wamlcrinjj  musicians  who  had  been  for 
several  days  at  a  wedding  in  the  home  of  a  feudal 
lord.  They  had  been  well  paid  for  their  entertam- 
ment,  but  had  gone  but  one  stage  on  their  leturn 
to  Teheran  when  a  band  of  robbers  had  suddenly 
come  down  upon  them  and  taken  everything  from 
them.  They  appealed  to  us.  in  their  helplessness, 
to  assist  them  in  recovering  their  money  and  goods, 
but  no  one  knew  where  the  brigands  had  gone. 

Some  nine  farsakhs  out  from  Hamadan  we  met 
a  large  landowner  and  were  taken  to  his  home  for 
noon  luncheon.     His  welcome  was  so  cordial  and 
his  entertainment  so  agreeable,  that  upon  his  urging 
it  was  decided  to  spend  ;he  night  at  his  place.     It 
was  just  at  the  grape  season,  and  the  afternoon 
was  spent  in  a  lodge  in  a  large  vineyard  eating 
grapes  and  partaking  of  delicious  sherbets,  brought 
to  us  by  one  of  his  many  attendants.     The  upper- 
clas-  Persians,  of  whom  this  man  was  a  sample,  are 
nearly  always  kind  and  hospitable  to  travellers  and 
strangers.    There  is  a  Persian  motto  that  says,  "  If 
you  want  to  know  a  man,  travel  with  him.  or  seek 
lodgings  at  his  h.  )use."     As  well  as  being  hospitable, 
the   Persians  arc   often   very  agreeable  travelling 
companions.     It  is  the  sort  of  thing  that  appeals 
to  their  nomadic  natures,  and  they  are  at  their 
best  out  in  the  open  air,  mounted  on  a  good  horse, 
making  a  journey. 

There  is  a  general  ascent  all  the  way  to  Ham- 


KUM,    SULTANABAD,    ETC.    185 

adan.    The  city  lies  on  t  ih  si<le  of  the  moun- 

tain, and  has  during  the  .ur.mier  months  a  most 
agreeable    climate,    but  the    winters   are    severely 
cold.     The  altitude  being  over  six  thousand  feet 
many   foreigners  find   it  difficult  to  reside  there 

uarters  of  the  tcvvn  have  large  gates,  which  close 
H>e  streets  after  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening     It  is 
an  ,mp<,rtant  business  town,  being  a  distributing 
pomt    or  merchandise  for  all  that  part  of  Kurdistan 
lyng  to  the  west  and  south.     It  is  also  the  chief 
cmix^num  for  (he  wild  tribes  of  Luristan.      One 
often  sees  in  tl,e  market-place  an  o<ld  mixture  of 
tl.cse  peop  e  from  the  hills,  who  have  come  in  touch 
wuh  the  fnnge  of  civilisation  for  the  first  time 
I^ear  the  c.ty  is  a  large  mound,  upon  which  stood' 
the  palace  wherein  were  enacted  those  scenes  re- 
corded m  the  Book  of  Esther.     This  mound  may 
or  may  not  have  been  the  site  of  Shushan.  the 
1-aIace;  ,t  would  seem  more  likely  to  have  been  a 
summer  palace  rather  than  a  winter  one.    At  any 
rate    the  tomb  of  Esther  is  there,  in  which  the 
l.ghts  are  ever  kept  burning  by  faithful  Jews. 

The  population  of  the  town  is  probably  fifty 
thousand  largely  Mohammedan,  although  there  are 
.nfluem,al  colonies  of  Armenians  and  Jews.  Like 
all  Oriental  h.stonc  places,  this  town  is  wrapped 
."nnich  obscure  tradition.  It  was  unquestionably 
the  Ecbatana.  the  Median  capital,  and  the  Acmetha 
spoken  of  m  Ezra.     Near  tl,e  city,  in  a  gorge  on 


111 


ii 


i" 


136     TWENTY   YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

tlie  side  of  the  mountain,  is  an  inscription  in  cunei- 
form, placed  there  by  Darius  and  Xerxes.  The  in- 
teresting,' feature  of  this  inscription  does  not  consist 
in  the  fact  that  it  was  written  on  the  rock  by  these 
renowned  kings,  nor  in  the  fact  that  it  was  w.itten 
in  the  languages  of  the  Persians,  Medians,  and 
Babylonians,  for  these  inscriptions  are  found  at  a 
half-dozen  other  points  in  Persia.  The  unique 
feature  of  this  inscription  rests  in  the  fact  that  it 
supplied  certain  letters  of  these  alphabets  which 
made  the  great  discoveries  at  Nineveh  of  use  to 
the  world.  The  modern  name  of  the  place  is  Ganj- 
Xomeh.  gauj  meaning  treasure  and  tioiiich  writing. 
In  all  these  historic  points  more  or  less  jewels  and 
coins  are  continually  found,  and  this  has  led  to  the 
l)elief  that  some  great  treasure  lies  hidden  near  this 
Kmely  point  in  the  mountain,  on  the  direct  highway 
between  Ecbatana  and  Babylon.  From  an  archaeo- 
logical standpoint  it  has  proven  a  great  treasure- 
house,  having  furnished,  as  I  have  hinted,  the  key 
to  the  rich  inscriptions  at  Nineveh  and  throughout 
Assyria. 

Another  show-place,  or  as  the  Persians  say, 
taiiiasluih,  is  the  tomb  of  .^vicenna,  a  celebrated 
Persian  physician  and  philosopher,  author  of  many 
books.  History  says  that  this  now  famous  doctor 
was  bnrn  in  a  mud  village  somewhere  in  Turkestan, 
that  he  was  self-educated,  that  his  learning  and 
reputation  became  so  great  that  it  had  a  remark- 
able influence  upon  his  profession,  even  among  the 


KUM,    SULTANABAD,   ETC.    137 

learned  Greeks.  But  we  might  remark  here  that  the 
art  of  surgery  and  the  science  of  medicine  have  ad- 
vanced until  the  students  of  the  American  medical 
mission  in  Hamadan  are  doing  work  that  neither 
Avicenna  nor  his  learned  Greek  confreres  ever 
dreamed  of. 

The  American  Presbyterian  Hospital  is  a  mem- 
orial to  a  lady  once  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare 
of  the  people  touched  by  the  Mission.  After 
her  death  her  friends  gave  the  money  that  erected 
the  well-built  brick  building  at  the  edge  of  the 
town,  that  supplies  relief  to  thousands,  who 
otherwise  would  have  to  go  through  life  as 
sufferers.  The  Mission  also  carries  forward  at  this 
point  an  excellent  school  for  girls  and  another  for 
boys.  The  work  done  by  the  different  agencies 
is  the  great  liope  of  this  community.  The  Mission, 
besides  raising  up  teachers  and  preachers,  has  edu- 
cated and  launched  into  professional  life  a  number 
of  excellent  doctors  and  surgeons.  One  of  these 
is  a  skilled  oculist. 

I  must  confess  that  it  is  hard  for  me  to  fancy 
Hamadan  as  once  being  the  glorious  capital  of 
ancient  Media.  The  people  are  given  up  to  the  man- 
ufacture of  leather  and  certain  coarse  native  cloth. 
The  tanning  of  hides  is  always  an  insanitary  indus- 
try, and  especially  so  under  the  conditions  in  which 
one  finds  it  done  in  Hamadan.  About  these  tan- 
neries there  may  be  found  pools  of  the  foulest 
water,  and  the  odours  of  the  place  are  most  ob- 


J!ll 


III 


138    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


noxious.  Some  of  the  people  living  near  these  tan- 
neries claimed  that  the  smells  kept  their  clocks  from 
keeping  the  correct  time!  While  we  know  this  to 
be  an  exaggeration,  one  would  be  almost  willing  to 
believe  it. 

The  Russians  have  constructed  a  fine  modern  car- 
riage road  from  here  to  Kasvin,  on  the  Teheran- 
Caspian  route.  The  toll  charged  cannot  more  than 
keep  the  route  in  repair;  but  such  a  road  makes 
the  import  of  goods  very  easy,  and  one  finds  the 
bazaars  filled  with  goods  having  the  mark  of  Mos- 
cow upon  them.  The  business  of  the  place  is  largely 
in  the  hands  of  Armenians,  and  it  is  through 
them  that  Russia  has  her  hold  upon  the  trade.  The 
manager  of  the  English  bank,  however,  is  an  Ar- 
menian, and  a  most  excellent  and  worthy  citizen. 

Our  return  was  by  a  circuitous  route,  and  upon 
reaching  home  we  found  that  we  had  travelled  six 
hundred  miles  or  more.  It  is  in  some  respects  an 
ideal  way  to  travel — up  and  on  the  road  at  the 
first  peep  of  day,  reaching  the  mancil  or  inn  about 
noon,  a  good  dinner,  early  to  bed,  and  ready  for 
the  next  day's  stage  of  thirty  miles. 

The  life  of  the  country  people  is  always  full  of 
interest.  At  one  place  the  village  women,  upon 
seeing  gold  in  the  teeth  of  one  of  the  ladies,  ex- 
pressed the  judgment  that  she  must  be  a  favourite 
wife  or  had  a  very  s'lly  husband,  for  who  would 
be  stupid  enough  to  put  gold  in  the  teeth  when  as 
an  ornament  it  could  be  worn  in  a  much  more 


^ 


KUM,   SULTANABAD,   ETC.    139 

striking  place?  Most  of  the  women  wear  their 
jewels  in  the  shape  of  gold  coins  around  the  neck, 
strung  on  a  string,  like  beads.  But,  alas!  very  few 
can  afford  anything  more  than  a  few  small  silver 
coins,  interspersed  with  a  few  blue  glass  beads. 

In  some  ways  it  is  a  peculiarly  hard  life,  and  yet 
these  village  people  are  the  most  contented  of  any 
in  Persia.  Every  one  that  can  afford  it  has  his 
little  garden,  with  its  flowers,  fruit,  and  birds,  and 
in  the  evening,  after  the  day's  work  is  over,  friends 
gather  in  the  garden  around  the  hospitable  samo- 
var, and  while  the  hot  tea,  flavoured  with  lemon 
and  citron  from  the  garden,  is  being  served  in 
abundance  with  all  the  fruits  of  the  season,  one  of 
the  party  reads  from  the  poets,  Hafiz  or  Saadi. 
I  once  asked  a  man  if,  after  his  day's  work,  he 
was  not  too  tired  for  this  sort  of  thing.  He  re- 
plied, •'  Sahib,  in  our  country,  when  we  are  tired, 
we  rest."  Such  a  doctrine,  in  these  days  when  we 
hear  the  strenuous  life  preached  to  us  on  all  sides, 
will  be  considered  by  some  as  rank  heresy;  but  it 
strikes  the  writer  as  containing  a  good  deal  of  hard 
sense  and  no  unwise  philosophy.  A  little  more  day- 
dreaming and  poetry  instilled  into  our  American 
life  might  save  a  lot  of  doctor's  bills.  If  it  were 
tried  on  the  American  farm,  it  might  keep  the  sons 
from  being  so  thoroughly  inoculated  with  the  de- 
lusions of  city  life.    It  is  at  least  worth  trying. 


IX 


PERSIAN  TOPOGRAPHY  AND    ITS  INFLU- 
ENCE  ON  THE   PEOPLE 

1  THINK  that  it  is  pretty  generally  recognised 
that  the  topography  of  a  country  has  a  direct 
bearing  iij^n  the  lives  of  the  people  in  a 
social,  philosophical,  and  even  religious  way.  In 
the  chapters  on  the  Kurds,  we  have  seen  how  the 
rugged  character  has  been  developed  by  the  side  of 
the  rugged  mountain.  Climate  is  also  an  important 
element  in  forming  the  lives  of  the  people,  but 
climate  is  often  dependent  upon  the  physical  fea- 
tures of  a  country.  Nowhere,  perhaps,  in  the  world 
can  one  find  greater  changes  of  climate,  in  a  short 
distance,  than  in  parts  of  Persia. 

I  can  illustrate  this  in  no  better  way,  perhaps, 
than  by  telling  the  story  of  a  little  journey  that  I 
once  took,  in  company  with  the  Reverend  Dr.  Essel- 
styn  of  the  American  Mission,  across  the  Elburz 
Mountains,  on  to  the  Caspian,  and  returning  by  the 
way  of  Feruz  Kuh.  The  journey  occupied  one 
month,  and  gave  us  ample  time  to  study  the  lives 
and  character  of  the  people  of  the  districts  through 
which  we  passed. 

It  was  getting  pretty  hot  in  May  when  we  crossed 

140 


PERSIAN   TOPOGRAPHY      141 

the  Teheran  plain  and  entered  the  foothills  of  the 
mountains  at  Surkh  Hizar,  where  the  Shah  has  a 
pavilion  and  large  and  spacious  grounds.  It  is  a 
custom  of  the  Court  to  go  once  a  year  to  this  plj^ce, 
for  a  few  days,  to  a  sort  of  gathering  like  the 
barbecues  known  in  America.  Instead,  however,  of 
roasting  large  beasts,  as  is  done  in  the  United  States 
at  these  gatherings,  the  attendants  of  the  Court 
make  a  sort  of  soup,  into  which  they  put  every  kind 
of  green  that  is  thought  to  have  any  virtue  as  a  food 
or  medicine.  To  this  mixture  is  added  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  some  acid,  to  make  it  palatable.  Some- 
times this  dish  must  be  prepared  for  at  least  five 
thousand  people.  All  about  this  place  are  the  hunt- 
ing preserves  of  the  royal  family. 

The  peasants  of  the  Teheran  highlands  and  the 
mountains  are  intelligent  and  clever,  when  we  con- 
sider what  their  opportunities  in  life  have  been. 
Physically,  they  are  a  hardy  race,  making  long 
marches  on  foot,  subsisting  on  dry  bread  and  a  few 
raisins,  with  a  little  tea,  when  necessary.  The  higher 
one  gets  into  the  mountains  the  more  rugged  be- 
comes the  character  of  the  people.  On  this  journey 
we  stopped  for  several  days  at  the  town  of  Dema- 
vend,  a  place  of  more  than  fifteen  thousand  people, 
in  the  beautiful  valley  that  bears  the  same  name. 
The  weather  here  is  cool,  as  we  found  out  by  re- 
maining in  our  tents,  which  we  pitched  near  the  town. 
The  people  of  the  place  we  found  cordial,  and  during 
the  days  we  were  there  we  were  overrun  with  call- 


148     TWENTY    YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

ers,  many  of  whom  were  in  sad  need  of  proper 
medical  attention.  We  gave  out  medicine  to  many, 
did  several  surgical  operations,  and  gave  cards  of 
admittance  to  our  hospital  in  Teheran  to  not  a  few. 
The  people  are  industrious  all  through  the  region, 
and  the  waving  grain  gave  promise  of  an  abundant 
harvest.  There  were,  too,  acres  of  orchards  in 
bloom,  largely  a  variety  of  plum,  called  alloo-casy,  a 
cross  between  the  apricot  and  plum.  This  fruit  is 
dried  and  shipped  to  Russia  in  large  quantities,  so 
large  that  the  money  required  for  payment  to  the'-i 
fruit-growers  has  been  known  to  aflfect  the  rate  of 
exchange. 

Passing  from  this  agricultural  region,  the  road, 
I  should  say  more  properly  the  bridle-path,  winds 
over  high  peaks  until  suddenly  one  is  brought  face 
to  face  with  the  great  splendour  of  Alt.  Demavend, 
which  rises  nearly  four  miles  high,  and  seems  to 
block  every  chance  of  farther  travel  in  its  direction. 
But  the  road  creeps  slowly,  like  a  snake,  in  and  out 
between  great  ravines  and  mighty  rocks  until  one 
reaches  the  hot  springs,  Ob-c-gairm,  some  twenty- 
five  miles  from  the  ^own.  These  springs  are  visited 
by  hundreds  of  invalids  d.iring  the  summer  months. 
The  water  is  strongly  sulphur,  and  almost  boiling 
hot.  At  this  altitude  water  boils  at  a  low  tem- 
perature, and  we  found  it  very  difficult  to  boil 
eggs  or  cook  potatoes,  without  doing  it  under  pres- 
sure. In  our  hospital  work,  even  in  Telreran,  we 
had  to  use  pressure  in  sterilising  our  surgical  instru- 


PERSIAN   TOPOGRAPHY      143 

ments  and  surgical  dressings.    But  the  intense  heat 
of  this  water,  surcharged  with  sulphur,  disinfects 
the  bathing  pools,  otherwise  they  would  become  a 
great  source  of  all  kinds  of  foul  diseases,  for  hun- 
dreds with  skin  diseases  and  unmentionable  ailments 
flock  here  for  the  baths.     Many  find  the  altitude 
very  trying;  there  is  always  more  or  less  rain;  the 
snow-fields  are  near,  and  while  the  nights  are  almost 
freezing,  the  noon-day  sun  is  terrifically  hot.    These 
sudden  changes  produce  serious  liver  disturbances, 
and  in  one  case,  that  of  an  Englishman,  a  few  years 
before,  had  caused  his  death.    Here  the  marks  of 
the  climate  may  be  seen  upon  the  people,  in  their  yel- 
low and  pinched  faces.     Those  desiring  to  ascend 
Mt.  Demavend  usually  find  guides  here,  and  start 
from  this  point.    Not  far  below  the  sulphur  or  hot 
springs,  in  a  deep  ravine,  are  the  mercurial  springs 
of  Ask.    Those  diseases  requiring  mercury,  which 
unfortunately  are  found  in  such  large  numbers  in 
all  Persia,  are  greatly  benefited  by  treatment  at 
these  springs. 

After  leaving  these  regions,  the  road  strikes 
boldly  toward  the  Caspian,  taking  one  through  mag- 
nificent scenes  of  splendid  mountains,  built  up  by  a 
mighty  upheaval  of  solid  rock.  As  the  road  winds 
through  one  of  the  gorges,  the  traveller  is  brought 
face  to  face  with  a  modern  inscription  or  rather  a 
figure  of  Nasr-ed-Din  Shah,  carved  in  the  rock. 
Farther  down  the  road,  the  mountains  are  percept- 
ibly lower  and  covered  with  shrubs,  which  increase 


144     TWENTY    YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

as  one  approaclies  the  region  of  more  rainfall,  until, 
without  hardly  realising  it,  one  finds  hin^'t  in  the 
great  forest  or  jungle  of  the  Caspian  basin. 

I*  is  impossible  to  give  an  adequate  description  of 
tlie  people,  especially  the  peasant  classes,  in  this 
great  inundated  region  given  over  lo  rice-growing. 
The  people  are  short  of  stature,  the  colour  of  clay, 
speaking  a  dialect  of  their  own,  living  upon  boiled 
rice  and  sour  milk,  many  from  one  year's  end  to 
another  never  tasting  bread  or  meat,  with  no  definite 
ideas  on  religion  or  any  other  subject,  except  those 
pertaining  to  the  securing  of  sufficient  food  for 
themselves.  The  climate,  being  warm,  much  of  the 
year  they  require  little  clothing.  Women  as  well 
as  men  work  in  the  fields,  transplanting  the  rice 
from  the  warm  bed,  where  it  is  first  sown,  stalk  by 
stalk,  into  the  great  fields  of  mud.  The  moral  con- 
dition of  the  people  is  naturally  about  as  bad  as  it 
can  be. 

The  town  of  Amol,  sixteen  miles  from  the  sea, 
had  a  railway  when  we  were  there,  and,  as  it  was 
not  in  operation,  we  made  our  headquarters  in  one 
of  the  rooms  of  the  station.  The  man  in  charge 
kindly  offered  to  send  a  man  on  foot  on  the  hunt 
for  an  engine  with  whicli  to  take  us  a  ride,  but  the 
track  did  not  seem  safe  for  any  heavy  engine  to 
pass  over  it,  to  say  nothing  of  the  bridges.  It  seems 
that  the  engine  had  been  sent  down  the  track 
towards  the  sea,  some  days  before,  but  as  they  had 
no  telegraph  or  other  means  of  communication,  they 


m 


PERSIAN    TOPOGRAPHY      146 

(lepciuled  upon  a  messenger,  wlio  was  said  to  be 
swift  enough  to  overtake  a  train! 

Tliis  railroad  was  begrun  by  a  rich  Persian  mer- 
chant  in  Teheran,  and  mi-ht  have  l)cen  continued  on 
to  the  Capital,  had  not  the  muleteers  combined  and 
petitioned  the  king  to  stop  it  at  Amol,  on  the  ground 
tiiat  It  would  throw  thousands  out  of  employment. 
Unfortunately  for  the  country,  this  view  was  sus- 
tained. 

From  Amol  we  made  our  way  slowly  for  some 
eight  or  ten  hours  through  roads  that  seemed  to 
have  no  bottom,  to  Barfurush.  the  largest  place  in 
the  province,  having  a  population  of  about  fifty 
thousand  people.  It  has  a  large  trade  with  Russia,  and 
the  Germans  who  control  the  drug  trade  in  Persia 
have  a  chemist  here.  It  ought  to  be  a  good  place  for 
the  sale  of  drugs,  if  we  may  judge  1  v  the  large  num- 
ber of  people  who  applied  to  us  for  treatment. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  places  in  the  town 
is  an  artificial  island,  on  which  is  located  a  pavil- 
ion, surrounded  by  orange  and  lemon  trees,  the  park 
being  reached  by  a  long  brick  bridge  of  many 
arches.  The  water  surrounding  the  island  was  filled 
with  the  finest  bunches  of  pond  lilies  I  ever  saw. 
This  park  and  pavilion  were  built  by  Shah  Abbass, 
and  were  used  by  him  for  a  short  time  i  a  winter 
palace.  It  had  gone  down,  and  needed  repairs 
badly;  but  we  found  it  very  pleasant  headquarters 
during  our  stay  in  Barfurush.  Before  leaving 
Teheran,  we  had  been  favoured  with  letters  from 


146    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

the  Prime  Minister  and  tlic  governor  of  the 
province,  which  greatly  added  to  our  comfort. 
Here,  as  elsewhere,  upon  arriving  at  a  town,  we 
went  immediately  to  call  ui>on  the  governor  and 
presented  our  letters  of  intrtxluction.  These  visits 
were  always  returned  promptly,  and  we  were  inva- 
riably treated  with  much  courtesy. 

Nor  did  we  cont  'c  our  visits  to  officials,  for  we 
also  paid  our  respv  t '  to  the  high  Mohammedan 
ecclesiastics.  I  especially  remember  our  call  on  the 
High  Priest,  Shcikh-ul-Islam,  at  Barfurush.  We 
were  taken  there  by  the  Prince-Governor,  who 
wished  me  to  see  him,  as  he  was  then  blind  from 
cataract.  The  subject  of  our  conversation  turned 
upon  the  work  of  the  Christian  Church  throughout 
the  world  to-day.  He  said  he  had  re^^d  with  much 
interest  the  history  of  the  Apostolic  Church,  but 
he  knew  almost  nothing  of  modern  Christianity, 
except  as  he  had  observed  it  among  the  Armenians 
and  the  other  nominal  Christian  bodies  in  Persia. 
He  stv.ned  greatly  interested  in  all  we  had  to  say, 
for  he  was  a  man  naturally  of  large  ideas  and  pur- 
poses, although  a  devout  Mohammedan.  Finally, 
the  governor  touched  upon  the  question  of  an 
operation  on  his  eyes.  His  reply  was  filled  with 
fatalism  and  was  as  follows :  "  I  am  an  old  man 
with  but  a  year  or  two  to  live,  and,  while  my  heart 
yearns  for  the  light  of  day,  I  think  the  Lord  has  sent 
this  affliction  upon  me.  H  He  will  remove  it,  my 
heart  will  be  filled  with  praise  and  thanksgiving. 


PERSIAN    TOPOGRAPHY       147 

but,  if  He  chooses  to  leave  me  in  darkness,  I  must 
bear  it.  It  nwy  be  that  the  few  years  of  darknes:, 
will  niake  my  Heavenly  vision  clearer  and  brigliter." 
This  is  the  only  case  of  cataract,  during  my  nearly 
twenty  years  in  Persia,  that  refused  an  operation. 

The  mosquitoes  made  heavy  nets  necessary  at 
night.  ''.  0  t".  md  it  very  pleasant  with  our  beds  out 
on  the  bii  •,c.  but  ••  .-c  not  a  safe  place,  on  account 
of  nu.  ni  ,a.  ,  he  ,  e  -.i  were  gathering  the  pond- 
lilic-  .  !..  sen  '..  .  1!.^.,;  o  be  made  into  perfume. 
Vi'ix-  .,i':u;v(!  -M,!  ,jr  they  were  stacked  hke 
li.iy  a  !'■  s  om.u    o  U    .ufficient  to  perfume  the 

h  joi  [  .-s  ab'^ut  t'vo  hours  to  go  from  Bar- 
furuMi  to  Mcslic  -  Se'tr,  one  of  the  principal  ports 
on  the  1 '-  , , ,  .  ,wst .  .Ve  hired  a  sailboat  and  went 
out  a  milt  o.  u.u,  m  order  to  get  a  view  of  Mt. 
Demavend.  Although  this  peak  is  forty  miles 
away,  one  gets  the  best  view  out  at  sea,  where  its 
full  height  of  twenty  thousand  feet  may  be  seen.  At 
this  port  are  located  some  large  fisheries,  much  of 
the  Russian  caviare  being  prepared  here.  We  got 
some  very  nice  cans  of  it  to  take  back  with  us  to 
Teheran.  The  large  number  of  boxes  containing 
Russian  goods  being  unloaded  here,  clearly  showed 
where  tlie  north  of  Persia  was  doing  its  trading. 

From  Meshed-e-Sair  we  went  to  Saree,  the  road 
for  some  miles  being  along  tl  .  sandy  shore  of  the 
sea.  Sometimes  we  were  coni^elled  to  ride  a  con- 
siderable distance  out  in  the  water,  to  get  around 


148     TWENTY   YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

the  mouth  of  some  creek  or  mountain  torrent. 
Towards  noon  the  guide  left  th'j  sea  and  we  fol- 
lowed him  through  a  track  in  the  forest  until  almost 
dark,  when  we  emerged  into  a  clearing  about  the 
city.  Here  we  made  our  maiicil,  in  the  Public 
Garden,  in  an  upper  room  over  the  gate.  The  days 
passed  quickly,  being  filled  with  visits  and  profes- 
sional and  social  calls.  There  is  a  long  drive  lead- 
ing up  ti)  the  pavilion  in  this  public  garden,  lined 
on  either  side  by  orange  and  lemon  trees.  The  home 
of  the  governor-general  of  the  province  of  Mazan- 
deran  is  here.  While  it  is  not  so  important  as  Bar- 
furush,  from  a  commercial  standpoint,  the  climate 
is  much  better. 

The  next  stage  to  Feruz  Kuh  required  the  greater 
part  of  three  days,  owing  to  the  frightful  condition 
of  the  road.  For  some  distance  we  followed  an  old 
Persian  higinvay  that  had  been  paved,  but  the  pave- 
ment had  given  away,  and  the  loose  stones  on  top 
of  a  metre  of  mud  made  it  very  difficult  for  the 
horses  to  pick  their  way  along.  We  spent  Sunday 
in  camp  at  the  Place  of  the  Lion,  Shirgah,  in  bed 
most  of  the  day  with  UTibrellas  over  us!  The  rain 
came  down  in  tort  ents  until  our  Indian  tents  refused 
longer  to  turn  water.  But  our  faithful  cook,  by 
some  mysterious  means,  prepared  us  a  splendid 
evening  meal  of  chicken,  pilau,  and  curry.  The 
town  of  Feruz  Kuh  takes  its  name  from  a  little 
mountain  near-by.  which  has  the  shape  of  a  ferns, 
the  Persian  for  turquoise.    The  summer  climate  is 


PERSIAN    TOPOGRAPHY       149 

fine;  there  are  broad  meadows,  an  abundance  of 
water,  and  it  is  a  splendid  place  for  a  large  camp, 
which,  indeed,  has  frequently  been  made  use  of  by 
the  Court. 

It  is  twenty-four  farsakhs  from  here  to  Teheran, 
or,  in  other  words,  about  ninety  miles,  the  farsakh 
being  a  little  less  than  four  English  miles.  The  first 
half  of  the  road  we  travelled  by  daylight.  Finding 
a  little  inn  we  thought  a  desirable  pbce  to  spend  the 
night,  we  secured  grass  and  barley  for  our  horses, 
and  spread  our  blankets  in  a  wayside  tea-house,  ex- 
pecting to  get  a  fairly  good  night's  rest.  But  in 
this  we  were  greatly  disappointed,  for  in  an  hour  or 
so  the  opium  fumes  were  so  offensive  that  we  had 
to  leave  the  place.  Towards  morning  we  mounted 
our  horses  and  pushed  on  towards  home.  The 
waning  moon  was  in  our  faces,  and  it  so  blinded 
us  that  we  lost  the  road.  We  were  suddenly 
awakened  to  this  fact  by  our  horses  starting  down  a 
steep  precipice  near  the  Bomahain  River.  Once 
down  the  embankment  it  was  quite  impossible  to  get 
our  horses  back,  and  so  we  crossed  over  to  a  little 
island,  there  patiently  to  await  daylight.  Twice 
we  heard  caravans  at  the  ford  of  the  river  just 
below  us.  but  when  we  called  to  them  to  show  us  the 
road,  they  became  afraid  and  hurried  on,  thinking 
that  we  were  a  band  of  robbers.  When  daylight 
came,  we  had  no  trouble  to  find  the  road,  and  we 
were  safe  at  home  for  noon  luncheon. 

It  is  a  great  contrast  to  turn  from  these  people  in 


150    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

the  forest  to  the  province  of  Fars,  of  which  Shiraz 
is  the  capital.  Here  it  is  claimed  tliat  the  purest 
Persian  is  spoken,  although  the  language  of  the 
Court  at  Teheran  is  considered  equally  good.  The 
writer  has  never  visited  this  region,  but  it  has  been 
his  pleasure  to  know  many  people  who  had  lived 
there,  and,  without  exception,  they  were  full  of  its 
praises.  It  was  the  home  of  the  sweetest  poets  who 
ever  sang  in  the  Persian  tongue.  The  climate  is  mild, 
never  too  hot  or  too  cold  for  an  outdoor  life,  and 
this,  with  the  natural  beauty  of  the  place,  has  had 
a  distinct  bearing  upon  the  people.  Shira  is  known 
to  all  Protestants  as  the  place  where  the  Rev.  Henry 
Martyn  lived  in  1811,  for  ten  months,  and  during 
that  time  completed  the  first  translation  of  the  New 
Testament  into  the  Persian  language.  Although  he 
was  in  Persia  for  only  a  year,  dying  at  Tokat  in 
Armenia,  in  181 2,  his  name  will  be  forever  insep- 
arable from  Persia.  For  nearly  seventy-five  years 
his  translation  of  the  Scriptures  was  circulated  and 
read  by  thousands. 

At  Meshed,  the  most  sacred  city  in  Persia,  the 
people  are  dependent  upon  travellers  and  have 
developed  a  commercial  spirit.  The  country  round 
about  Meshed  is  barren,  and,  were  it  not  a  place  for 
pilgrimages,  it  would  be  of  no  importance.  The 
country  and  conditions  have  had  a  marked  effect 
upon  the  people  there,  for  amongst  them  no  poet  has 
risen  to  sing  the  praises  of  this  sacred  city  of  the 
Shiahs. 


TOMl!  ol     nil.  1\M.  i    iiMAK  KlIAVVAM, 


PERSIAN    TOPOGRAPHY      161 

Ispahan  is  never  referred  to  by  the  Persians  with- 
out a  sense  of  pride.     Situated  near  the  centre  of 
the  country,   with   an   almost   ideal   cliniate,   sur- 
rounded by  orchards  and  fertile  fields  and  an  abun- 
dance of  water,  it  would  have  seemed  to  Ije  the  place, 
of  all  others,  for  the  capital  of  the  country.    It  has 
Ijeen,  and  doubtless  will  continue  to  be,  one  of  the 
most  important  towns  in  Persia.     Across  the  river 
is  the  large  and  flourishing  Armenian  community  of 
Jul  fa.    There  are  two  of  these  towns  by  the  same 
name  in  Persia,  one  on  the  Aras  and  the  other  at 
Ispahan.    At  the  latter  place  most  of  the  Europeans 
who  have  business  in  Ispahan  reside.     In  the  city 
is  the  large  and  new  hospital  of  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society,  with  a  capacity  for  nearly  two  hun- 
dred patients.    Both  England  and  Russia  have  con- 
sulates there,  and  those  who  have  lived  in  the  place 
always  speak  enthusiastically  of  its  location.    Under 
the  Anglo-Russian  agreement   it   falls  in   Russia's 
sphere  of  influence.    It  has  considerable  trade  with 
Yezd,  Kerman,  Bander  Abbas,  Bushire,  and  other 
towns  in  the  south  of  Persia.    Nearly  all  the  roads 
from  the  Cktlf  to  the  Capital  pass  through  Ispahan. 
A  new  caravan  route,  which  utilises  for  some  dis- 
tance the  only  navigable  river  in  Persia,  the  Karun, 
has  been  constructed  from  Ahwaz  to  Ispahan.    This 
road  greatly  shortens  the  time  for  all  importers  who 
depend  upiMi  the  southern  route  to  get  their  goods 
into  Teheran. 

The  new  road  crosses  the  Bakhtiari  hills,  which 


ill 

ill 

n 

Ml 

nil 
■ri 


152     TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


He  to  the  south  and  west  of  Ispahan.  By  dealing 
wisely  and  prudently  with  the  tribes,  this  ruute  has 
been  made  quite  safe.  Formerly,  it  was  nut  con- 
sidered iK)ssib!e  to  cross  these  hills  with  any  degree 
of  safety.  In  Luristan.  a  few  years  ago,  two  Eng- 
lish officers  were  attacked  in  their  tent  and  both 
shot,  though  fortunately  not  fatally.  Like  the 
Kurds,  these  hill  people,  instead  of  being  given  up 
to  the  study  of  philosophies  and  mysticisms,  are 
men  of  action.  It  makes  all  the  difference  in  the 
world  to  men  socially,  mentally,  physically,  and 
often  religiously,  whether  they  are  dwellers  on  the 
hot  plains  or  have  tlieir  abodes  in  the  mountains, 
wlicre  the  climate  is  colder  and  the  blood  flows 
freer. 


CONCERNING    THE    LANGUAGES,    RELI- 
GIONS,  AND  PHILOSOPHIES  OF  PERSIA 

IN  the  sense  that  English  is  the  national  tongue 
in  America.  Persia  cannot  be  said  to  have  a 
language.  While  most  of  the  books  are  written 
in  Persian,  and  that  is  the  tongue  at  the  Capital  and 
throughout  the  eastern  and  southern  half  of  the 
country,  it  has  a  close  rival  in  the  Tartar  Turkish, 
spoken  throughout  the  western  provinces.  In 
Kurdistan,  one  hears  little  else  but  the  Kurdish, 
while  in  the  Armenian  and  Nestorian  districts  those 
tongues  are  used  almost  exclusively.  The  Parsees 
use.  amongst  themselves,  a  dialect  of  the  .incient 
Persian,  while  the  Jews  use  what  they  call  modern 
Hebrew.  In  Mazanderan,  Ghilan,  Luristan,  and  the 
Bakhtiari  country  different  dialects  of  the  Persian 
are  spoken.  In  writing  these  languages,  the  Arabic 
character  is  used  now  by  all.  except  the  Armenians, 
Nestorians.  and  Jews.  The  Jews,  in  writing  to  one 
another,  commonly  use  the  Persian  language,  but 
with  the  Hebrew  character.  As  most  of  the 
Persians  who  find  their  way  to  the  United  States 
are  from  the  western  provinces,  very  few  of  them 
know  the  Persian  well  enough  to  speak  it. 

153 


154    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 


The  Persian  language  has  been  called  the  French 
of  tiie  East.  It  is  rich  in  polite  and  poetic  phrases, 
lends  itself  readily  to  diplomatic  use,  and  is  not  un- 
pleasant to  the  ear  of  a  Westerner.  Many  of  the 
idioms,  so  pleasing  to  the  Persian,  cannot  be  readily 
translated  into  English.  For  instance,  a  servant 
sent  on  an  errand  to  the  home  of  a  neighbour,  would 
not  ask.  "  Is  Mr.  X.  at  home?  "  btit  would  politely 
inquire  "  if  Mr.  X.  has  his  dignity  or  honour."  If  he 
were  told  that  such  a  condition  existed,  before  stat- 
ing his  errand,  he  would  say,  "  My  master  sends 
great  peace  to  him.  and  commands  your  servant  to 
present  the  following  petition."  In  addressing  a 
servant,  one  does  not  use  the  same  terms  that  are 
used  in  addressing  one's  equal  or  superior.  For 
instance,  one  can  ask  a  servant  if  "  his  nose  is  fat," 
meaning  is  he  well,  and  be  considered  quite  polite. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  he  were  calling  on  a  high 
official  it  would  be  considered  much  better  form  to 
say,  "If  the  Lord  wills,  the  blessed  constitution  of 
your  excellency  is  reposing  in  a  serene  condition." 
The  reply  would  at  once  be  given,  "  Since  seeing 
you.  such  is  the  case." 

Rich  as  the  Persian  is  in  diplomatic  and  poetic 
words  and  phrases,  it  is  almost  sterile  in  phrases 
and  words  common  to  all  forms  of  Christian  wor- 
ship. It  does  not  lend  itself  readily  to  Christian 
prayer.  In  this  respect,  it  is  very  different  from 
the  Armenian,  Nestorian,  and  Hebrew.  The  Ar- 
menian, and  modern  Syriac,  the  languages  of  the 


Languages,  etc. 


IM 


Nestorjans,  are  wonderfully  rich  in  words  express- 
ing praise,  thanksgiving,  confession,  adoration,  and 
worship.  In  these  languages  is  now  found  a  fairly 
good  literature  of  religious,  scientific,  and  other 
works. 

Mohammedanism  was  hardly  inaugurated  until 
there  arose  divisions  that  have  continued  until  the 
present  day.  The  first  great  division  was  not  along 
theological  lines,  but  over  the  question  of  the  suc- 
cessor to  Mohammed,  and  resulted  in  a  grand  divi- 
sion of  the  Mohammedan  world  into  two  great 
branches,  known  as  Sunnee  and  Shiah.  The  Sun- 
nees  are  the  Mohammedans  under  the  Sultan  of 
Turkey,  while  a  branch  of  the  Shiahs  make  up  very 
largely  the  population  of  modern  Persia.  Between 
these  two  branches  of  Mohammedanism  there  is  lit- 
tle in  common,  and  often  marked  hatred  and  rivalry. 
As  the  Suhan  exercises  authority  over  their  sacred 
cities  of  Mecca,  Medina,  and  Kerbela.  the  Persians 
are  forced  to  use  not  a  little  diplomacy  in  making 
their  pilgrimages  to  these  places.  Besides  these 
cities,  so  sacred  to  all  branches  of  Islam,  there  is 
little  to  bind  the  Turk  and  Persian  together. 

The  vitality  of  Mohammedanism  in  Persia  seems 
much  less  strong  than  in  Turkey.  On  the  surface, 
it  might  appear  that  the  Persians  are  more  fanatical 
than  the  Turks,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  While  the 
Turk  will  allow  a  Christian  to  visit  his  mosque,  the 
fact  that  the  Persian  does  not  allow  this  only  means 
that  he  has  come  in  contact  with  fewer  Christians 


156     TWENTY    YEARS    IN   PERSIA 

from  the  Western  world.  As  time  goes  on,  this 
ri^ht  will  not  only  be  acconlcd  Christians,  but  may 
be  urged  uikju  them. 

Before  touching  uiwi  some  of  the  theological 
questions  that  have  dividid  tiie  Shiah  world,  let  us 
consider  for  a  little  while  certain  duties  and  prac- 
tices that  are  in  a  general  way  accpted  by  all.  These 
rites  centre  about  the  months  of  Moharram,  Safar, 
and  Raniazan.  As  the  Mohammedan  calendar  is 
based  upon  the  lunar  month,  the  time  of  these  re- 
ligious festivals  changes. 

Moharram.  the  month  of  mounu'ng.  is  universally 
kept  by  all  classes,  in  memory  of  the  martyrs 
liostin  and  Hassan.  Every  one,  from  the  king 
dt)wn  to  the  poorest,  puts  on  black.  Not  the  simple 
crai)e  on  the  sleeve,  but,  regardless  of  the  heat,  all 
who  cm  aflford  it  put  on  a  full  suit  of  black.  Even 
little  children  employed  in  the  street  to  chant  the 
names  of  Hassan  and  Hosein  are  enveloiHjd  in 
sombre  colours.  Little  black  flags  over  many  door- 
ways serve  as  an  invitation  to  the  passer-by,  that 
"  daily  readings."  a  sort  of  cottage  prayer-meeting, 
is  Iwing  hcKl  for  the  public.  .At  these  meetings,  the 
priest  reads  from  the  Koran,  recites  poems  touching 
upon  the  life  anrl  character  of  their  martyrs,  and 
follows  these  with  an  exhortation  that  generally 
meets  with  a  response  on  the  part  of  the  audience, 
of  tears  and  aniens. 

TIic  religious  leaders  are  supplemented  in  their 
endeavours  to  keep  the  tragic  death  of  these  early 


1^: 


■J 

X 


■r. 

X 


MICROCOfY    RESOLUTION    TEST   CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No   2) 


^     /APPLIED  IIVHGE 


'6";!    fost    Man    S'-pc! 

Wochfsinr,    Nf«    »o'l  U609        USA 

i''16)    .s;       OiOO  -  Pnone 

;"6!    ?ee  -  5989  -  Fa. 


LANGUAGES,   ETC 


157 


I 


leaders  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  people  by  the 
theatre.     The  Taciych,  or  theatre,  in  Persia,  is  used 
exclusively   for  the  presentation   of  the   religious 
drama.    The  first  ten  days  of  the  month  of  Moliar- 
ram  are  given  up  to  the  serious  presentation  of 
scenes  of  the  early  days  of  Mohammedanism,  touch- 
ing upon  the  life  of  the  two  great  martyrs.    After 
the  tenth  day,  the  play  takes  on  a  lighter  character, 
and  often  drifts  into  comedy.    Nearly  every  village 
has  one  of  these  theatres,  often  used  at  other  times 
as  a  market-place,  where,  for  four  weeks  of  the 
year,  daily  performances  are  given.     One  of  the 
landmarks   of   Teheran   is   the   Imperial   Theatre, 
where,  at  great  expense,  these  plays  are  produced. 
It  is  in  this  theatre  that  the  late  Shah  was  tempo- 
rarily buried.    The  sacred  character  of  the  place  is 
rendered  secure  by  the  enactment  of  such  scenes  as 
are  portrayed  by  the  story  of  Adam  and  Eve,  Cain 
and  Abel,  Joseph  and  his  Brethren,  and  Hagar  and 
Ishmael,  as  well  as  those  later  ones  told  only  in  Mo- 
hammedan histories. 

Although  these  plays  are  very  ambitious,  they 
are  often  most  crude.  However,  the  horses  with 
their  rich  caparisons,  the  sound  of  the  bugle,  the 
great  crowds  of  people,  often  covering  the  neigh- 
bouring housetops,  give  a  striking  and  spectpxular 
air  to  it  all.  lUil.  more  than  this,  it  appeals  mightily 
to  the  religious  sentiments  of  the  people  and  pre- 
pares them  for  the  tenth,  to  them  the  most  important 
day  of  the  month.    On  this  day,  the  anniversary  of 


158    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


the  death  of  the  martyrs,  every  place  of  business  in 
all  Persia  is  closed.  The  morning  is  given  up  to 
great  .rocessions  moving  through  the  streets,  com- 
posed of  men  and  boys  dressed  in  white,  carrying 
swords,  with  which  they  inflict  deep  gashes  into 
their  shaven  heads.  Others,  with  bare  chests,  strike 
themselves  with  pieces  of  chain  or  with  their 
hands,  calling  in  unison  the  names  of  the  martyrs. 
Other  bands,  made  up  of  boys  and  some  men,  are 
content  to  carry  banners  and  cry  the  names  of 
Hosein  and  Hassan.  As  a  rule,  Europeans  find  it 
pleasanter  and  safer  to  remain  indoors  on  the  day 
of  this  religious  celebration.  The  writer  has  wit- 
nessed these  scenes  in  various  places  throughout  the 
country,  but  nowhere  were  they  equal  in  fanaticism 
and  severity  to  Tabriz.  Everywhere  these  celebra- 
tions are  becoming  less  popular,  and  as  education 
and  enlightenment  come,  we  may  expect  their  disap- 
pearance. 

The  month  of  Safar  follows  Moharram,  and  is 
a  favourite  month  for  pilgrimages  to  Kum,  Meshed, 
and  Kerbela.  These  journeys  to  the  nearer  shrines 
are  often  extended  to  Mecca  and  Medina.  As  the 
system  of  Islam  is  based  in  a  large  measure  upon 
what  the  Persian  calls  savob,  which  may  be  translated 
to  mean  "  merit,"  these  sacrifices  made  by  long  pil- 
grimages to  the  tomb  of  the  saints  are  supposed  to 
be  especially  efficacious.  Often  the  savings  of  years 
are  spent  on  one  of  these  journeys,  the  pilgrim  re- 
turning home  to  spend  his  declining  days  in  poverty. 


LANGUAGES,  ETC 


169 


One  old  woman  was  treated  by  doctors  from  the 
hospital,  who  sold  all  her  household  goods  at  the  age 
of  seventy,  made  a  pilgrimage  to  one  of  the  shrines, 
and,  when  found,  she  said  she  had  returned  penni- 
less and  ill.    This  frequently  happens. 

The  Saji^  a  class  claiming  to  be  the  direct 
descendants  of  Mohammed,  often  act  as  substitutes 
for  business  men  and  others  who  cannot  con- 
veniently make  such  a  journey.  By  paying  the  ex- 
penses of  one  of  this  special  class,  their  merit  is 
greater  than  it  would  have  been  had  they  made  the 
journey  themselves.  Not  infrequently  one  of  these 
men  will  marry  a  sayid  temporarily  and  send  hor  on 
one  of  these  pilgrimages,  to  be  divorced  upon  her 
return.  If  this  is  done,  the  woman  is  almost  always 
well  along  in  years,  often  quite  old.  Sometimes  the 
larger  part  of  the  male  population  of  a  village  will 
go  on  one  of  the  pilgrimages,  leaving  their  fields  un- 
tilled,  and  sometimes  their  families  not  provided 
for. 

But  this  idea  of  merit,  which  permeates  almost 
every  sect  in  Persia,  prompts  many  acts  of  charity. 
It  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  spirit  that  now 
exhibits  itself  by  making  long  pilgrimages  and 
other  useless  expenditures  of  strength  and  money, 
will  be  turned  towards  the  establishment  of  hospi- 
tals or  other  eleemosynary  institutions,  just  as  the 
Christian  world  has  largely  given  up  pilgrimages  to 
Jerusalem. 

From  the  month  of  Safar  to  the  month  of  fast- 


1()0     TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

ing,  Ramazan,  is  half  a  year.  No  heavier  duty  is 
imposed  by  Mohammedanism  upon  its  followers 
than  keeping  this  fast  from  sun  up  till  sun  down 
for  a  whole  month.  Upon  the  rich,  who  can  turn 
night  into  day  and  day  into  night,  it  is  not  a  severe 
ordeal.  If  the  month  falls  in  the  winter  time,  when 
the  days  are  short,  it  is  not  especially  trying  for  the 
labouring  man.  But  if  it  falls  during  the  long  hot 
summer  days,  it  is  very  hard  on  those  who  must 
labour  in  the  sun  from  early  morning  until  late  in 
the  evening,  without  food  or  drink.  Those  who  are 
given  over  to  the  use  of  tobacco  claim  that  their 
hardest  trial  is  to  abstain  from  the  use  of  that  weed. 
Many  of  these  labourers  find  a  stimulant  in  the  use 
of  a  dozen  cups  of  tea  during  the  day,  and  this,  too, 
is  a  sore  deprivation. 

At  other  times  during  the  Mohammedan  year, 
there  are  numerous  festivals  and  celebrations.  I 
shall  only  mention  one,  called  the  Sacrificial  Festival, 
Kiirban  Bciram.  The  best  place  to  witness  this  is 
in  the  public  square  just  in  front  of  the  Parliament 
House  in  Teheran.  The  sacrifice  is  said  to  have 
been  of  Hebrew  origin,  dating  back  to  the  oflfering 
of  Ishmael  by  Abraham,  the  Mohammedans  claim- 
ing that  Ishmael,  and  not  Isaac,  was  the  one  offered. 

Great  crowds  assemble  long  before  the  hour  when 
the  camel,  intended  for  the  sacrifice,  is  brought 
forth.  The  trappings  of  the  camel  are  always  of  the 
finest,  and  the  poor  beast  walks  into  the  square 
proudly,  little  suspecting  what  awaits  him.    It  is  an 


LANGUAGES,   ETC. 


161 


unwritten  law  that  the  one  who  kills  the  beast  shall 
have  his  request  complied  with,  and  that  attracts 
many  to  the  place,  having  some  request  or  griev- 
ance to  bring  to  the  attention  of  the  authorities. 
When  the  signal  is  given,  these  men  fly  at  the  throat 
of  the  camel,  and  he  is  soon  finished.  It  is  a  bloody 
and  savage  scene,  and  yet  it  attracts  not  only  a 
Persian  crowd,  but  also  many  gentlemen  and  ladies 
from  the  European  colony. 

The  ecclesiastical  body  governing  the  Mohamme- 
dans in  Persia  is  a  well-organized  band  of  men 
whose  discipline  is  not  to  be  questioned  by  the  faith- 
ful. From  the  chief  mujtehid,  whose  abode  is  rt 
Kerbala,  down  to  the  lowest  order  of  the  mollahs, 
the  people  are  called  upon  for  support.  This  income 
must  often  be  supplemented  by  writing  legal  docu- 
ments or  teaching,  and  in  the  villages  a  glebe  is  fur- 
nished. There  is  also  a  tax  upon  legacies  and  the 
transfer  of  real  estate,  called  the  khiims,  that  is  de- 
voted to  religious  purposes. 

The  wandering  dervishes,  or  religious  men- 
dicants, whom  one  sees  in  the  streets  and  about  the 
cafes,  all  belong  to  a  mysterious  organisation  hav- 
ing, it  is  said,  its  headfjuarters  in  Ispahan.  Their 
dress,  consisting  often  of  skins,  their  dishevelled 
hair,  their  great  clubs,  and  their  unique  receptacle 
for  alms,  make  them  striking  figures.  They  may 
be  often  seen  asleep  on  the  doorstep  when  the 
weather  is  severely  cold,  oblivious  to  all  the  elements, 
having  taken  a  heavy  dose  of  opium  or  Indian 


16«    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

hemp.  Some  wrilers  have  thought  that  they  were 
the  religious  leaders  of  the  people,  hut  such  is  not 
the  case.  They  are  the  religious  tramps  and  wander- 
ers of  the  Orient,  with  little  or  no  influence. 

While  there  are  a  number  of  the  jlogical  schools 
where  the  religious  leaders  may  be  trained  along 
Mohammedan  lines,  throughout  the  country,  most 
of  the  teaching  is  done  at  the  mosques,  and  very 
naturally  partakes  very  largely  of  the  views  of  the 
instructors.  One  of  these  priests  will  write  out  his 
views  and  have  his  students  copy  them  for  future 
reference.  If  the  views  are  strikingly  different  from 
what  are  considered  orthodox,  the  result  is  a  new 
sect.  Some  of  these  have  grown  until  their  adher- 
ents number  a  host  of  followers;  but  most  of  these 
new  sects  die  in  infancy.  ^ 

The  one  belief  in  which  all  unite  is  that  a  great 
prophet  is  yet  to  come  and  unite  the  Mohamme- 
dans. So;ne  claim  that  it  will  be  the  return  of 
Mohammed,  while  others  hold  different  views  con- 
cerning this  event  that  is  confidently  expected 
throughout  the  Mohammedan  world.  They  agree, 
liowever,  that  his  name  will  be  El  Mahde. 

Just  as  the  Christian  world  has  been  looking  for 
the  second  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  to  have  absolute 
power  over  the  world,  so  the  Persians  have  been 
looking  for  the  Mahde.  From  time  to  time  various 
ones  have  proclaimed  themselves  the  true  prophet 
that  the  people  were  expecting.  It  remaine<l,  how- 
ever, for  one  Mirza  All  Mohammed,  a  son  of  a 


LANGUAGES,  ETC. 


168 


a 


shopkeeper  in  Shiraz,  from  1820  to  1851,  to  con- 
vince any  large  portion  of  the  population  that  his 
claim  to  this  high  office  could  be  established  beyond 
a  doubt.     He  gave  himself  the  name  of  the  Bab, 
pronounced    Bob,    and    in    the    Arabic    meaning 
"  door  "  or  "  gate,"  and  called  himself  a  dervish. 
He  clothed  himself  in  sheep-ski'  >;  at  first,  and  went 
about  the  country  with  the  modest  claim  that  he  was 
only  the  forerunner  of  the  true  prophet.     His  ear- 
nestness seems  to  have  convinced  some  of  the  re- 
ligious leaders  of  the  genuineness  of  his  claim,  and 
this  appears  to  have  had  a  mighty  influence  upon 
the  opinions  of  the  common  people  concerning  him. 
Before  the  government  was  aware  of  it,  the  new 
doctrine  had  taken  hold  upon  a  large  number  of  peo- 
ple who  were  enthused  with  it.      Then   followed 
years  of  persecution,  often  most  bitter,  and  as  is 
frequently  the  case  when  any  sect  is  persecuted,  the 
scattering  of  those  who  believed  was  but  the  send- 
ing of  missionaries  into  every  comer  of  the  coun- 
try.    The  tension  between  the  followers  of  the  Bab 
and  the  authorities  became  so  marked  that  an  at- 
tempt was  made  by  them  upon  the  life  of  the  Shah. 
This  was  a  year  after  the  Bab  had  been  put  to 
death  at  Tabriz,  in  1850.    It  is  said  that  at  the  ex- 
ecution a  rope  was  placed  about  his  neck  and  was 
draw"t   tightly  by  soldiers  behind   the  wall  over 
which  the  rope  had  been  thrown.    As  he  was  drawn 
against  the  wall,  soldiers  were  ordered  to  fire,  and, 
instead  of  killing  him,  the  rope  was  cut  and  he  fell 


I 


164    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


to  the  ground  unharmed.  Had  he  had  the  presence 
of  mind  to  declare  himself  proof  against  attacks 
upon  his  life,  he  might  have  been  saved,  for  the 
people  are  oftCii  superstitious,  and  none  of  them 
more  so  than  the  soldiers.  However,  his  nerve  after 
three  years  of  imprisonment  had  left  him,  and  he, 
greatly  frightened,  was  unable  to  speak.  The  execu- 
tion was  then  carried  out. 

Among  the  followers  of  this  man  was  one  Mirza 
Hosein  Ali,  whose  home  had  been  in  Mazanderan, 
where  some  of  the  fiercest  and  crudest  persecutions 
had  been  inflicted.  He  left  the  country,  but  was 
later  arrested  in  Constantinople  and  taken  to  a  fort- 
ress in  northern  Syria.  He  pointed  out  that  his 
predecessor,  who  had  been  executed  in  Tabriz,  had 
during  his  early  years  only  claimed  to  be  the  fore- 
runner of  th  true  prophet,  and  that  he  was  the  ex- 
pected one.  This  profession  seems  to  have  been 
largely  accepted  by  many  who  visited  him  and  over 
whom  he  exercised  a  strange  hypnotic  influence.  In 
his  prison  home  he  received  the  homage,  and  no 
small  amount  of  money,  from  his  followers,  who 
ostensibly  went  on  pilgrimages  to  Mecca,  but  in  fact 
visited  Akka. 

This  movement  has  extended  itself  all  over 
Persia,  and  even  into  the  New  World,  a  propaganda 
being  in  Washington.  In  1906,  a  band  of  American 
converts  appeared  in  Teheran  and  later  went  on  to 
Ispahan  to  study  and  direct  the  movement.  It  is 
hard  to  see  how  any  American  could  accept  certain 


LANGUAGES,  ETC 


165 


of  its  doctrines  or  many  of  its  practices.  These 
Americans  soon  took  this  view,  and,  after  a  few 
months,  withdrew  from  the  country.  Like  many  of 
these  Oriental  philosophies,  Babism  had  been 
painted  quite  rose  coloured,  and  did  not  seem  un- 
suited  to  Americans — when  presented  in  a  drawing- 
room  around  tiie  teacups. 

After  having  had  many  conversations  with  fol- 
lowers of  the  Bab  in  Persia,  the  writer  must  confess 
that  he  has  found  it  rather  difficult  to  understand 
any  very  definite  principles  or  teachings  for  which 
they  stand.     It  seems  to  be  a  strange  mixture  of 
Christianity,   Mohammedanism,  and  JudaisiT,   fla- 
voured with  the  philosophies  and  vague  ideas  of  the 
poetic  rhind  of  the  Persian.    It  is  an  ethical  teach- 
ing, and  not  a  religion.    The  very  fact  that  it  re- 
ceives members  holding  almost  any  sort  of  views  has 
made  it  popular,  and  accounts  in  a  large  measure  for 
its  growth.     Its  converts  from  Islam  and  Judaism 
still  practise  polygamy,  while  its  few  converts  from 
Christianity  do  not.    And  so  it  is,  in  almost  every- 
thing connected  with  it,  that  men  believe  as  th  .,  like 
and  do  as  they  please. 

Many  of  its  followers  are  from  the  better  classes 
of  society,  and  the  movement  has  broken  the  hold 
Islam  has  had  for  ceniuries  upon  the  people.  Many 
of  the  leaders  in  the  reform  movement  which  ended 
in  the  establishment  of  the  constitution,  have  been 
tinged  with  this  faith.  It  is  a  conservative  estimate 
to  say  that  there  are  five  hundred  thousand  Babees 


166    TWENTY  YEARS  IN  PERSIA 

in  all  Persia.  Of  course,  it  is  quite  impossible  to 
know  just  how  many  there  are,  for,  like  all  things 
Oriental,  the  number  has  been  greatly  exaggerated. 

A  very  good  story  is  told  by  one  of  the  mission- 
aries who  had  been  taken  for  an  English  business 
man.  The  Babee  missionary  approached  him,  de- 
siring to  discuss  "  the  faith,"  and  after  a  good  deal 
of  talk  he  declared  that  the  earth  was  filled  with 
"  the  doctrine."  "  Why,"  he  said,  "  Mr.  S..  the 
American  missionary,  is  doing  the  doctrine." 
*'  Does  he  not  preach  as  usual  ? "  was  asked.  "  Oh, 
yes,"  came  the  reply;  "  our  religion  does  not  inter- 
fere wii'.i  a  man's  regular  duties  in  life."  "  Are  you 
sure  Mr.  S.  holds  to  your  faith?"  was  asked.  "I 
am  quite  sure  of  it,"  came  the  reply.  "  Well,  I  am 
not,"  said  the  gentleman,  "  for  I  happen  to  be  none 
other  than  Mr.  S.,  and  I  certainly  hold  views  very 
different  from  those  accepted  by  you !  " 

The  Babists,  or  Babccs,  as  they  are  called  in 
Persia,  being  a  sect  of  purely  Mohammedan  origin, 
have  found  it  difficult  to  get  any  sort  of  recognition 
at  the  hands  of  the  government.  Their  meetings 
are  held  in  secret,  and  their  p  opaganda  is  carried 
forward  so  quietly  that  it  is  difficult  to  know  who 
belongs  to  the  movement.  One  of  the  leaders,  how- 
ever, has  expressed  the  hope  th.-t  the  liberal  reform 
movement  in  Persia  will  give  them  an  opportunity 
to  establish  places  for  public  worship.  It  is  a  ques- 
tion, however,  whether  or  not  such  a  move  would 
strengthen  them,  since  persecution,  secret  meetings, 


LANGUAGES,  ETC. 


167 


and  myste.ious  rites  have  attracted  many  of  those 
dissatisfied  with  the  old  order  of  things. 

The  sect  known  as  AH  Allahccs,  a  considerable 
number  of  wliom  are  found  throughout  the  Turk- 
ish-speaking villages,  deny  any  connection  with 
modern  Mohammedanism.  They  hold  that  AH  was 
divine  in  nature.  Their  forms  and  ceremonies  par- 
take largely  of  the  ancient  Parsees'  ideas  concern- 
ing the  sacredness  of  fire  as  a  symbol  of  worship. 
Many  of  the  noinadic  tribes  throughout  Persia  hold 
to  this  faith,  and,  being  a  people  whose  life  is  spent 
in  the  open  air,  they  are  often  found  to  be  among 
the  most  noble  in  cliaracter  in  the  country.  They 
have  been  confused  by  some  writers  with  certain 
gipsy  tribes  in  Persia,  but  they  are  a  totally  differ- 
ent people. 

The  Persian  Hteralists,  known  as  the  Mutashara- 
hces,  claim  to  adhere  to  the  letter  of  the  Koran. 
Both  physically  and  mentally,  they  diflfer  from  other 
sects,  having  their  origin  in  Mohammedanism.  As 
a  rule,  they  are  given  up  to  the  study  of  works  on 
theology  and  mythology,  and  present  an  interesting 
psychological  study. 

Another  sect  found  scattered  throughout  the 
country  are  the  Shcikces,  who  exclude  every  form 
of  reason  as  having  any  direct  bearing  upon  their 
faith.  Everything  accepted  by  them  is  by  direct 
revelation.  They  ever  carry  this  into  their  explana- 
tions for  all  the  usual  physical  phenomena.  The 
writer  was  once  asked  by  a  doctor,  while  crossing 


^ 


168    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

the  bay  at  Enzeli,  to  explain  the  rainfall,  which  is 
always  very  heavy  there.  After  the  usual  explana- 
tion concerning  this  question  had  been  given,  one  of 
the  gentlemen  on  the  boat,  who  had  listened  atten- 
tively, resented  very  warmly  the  acceptance  of  such 
a  theory.  He  said  rain  is  only  one  of  many  of  Gf  d's 
mercies,  and,  being  a  revelation  of  His  graciousness 
to  men.  any  attempt  to  explain  it  from  a  physical 
standpoint  was  wrong.  The  fact  that  some  regions 
in  Persia  have  an  abundance  of  rain  while  others 
have  almost  none,  did  not  seem  tu  trouble  him. 
When  his  attention  was  called  to  tliis  fact,  he 
simply  said  it  could  not  be  exi)laitie(l. 

There  are  ether  interesting  sects  having   their 
origin  in  tlie  Shiah  faith,  but  enough  has  been  said 
to  give  the  rea<' jr  a  general  idea  of  the  religious  life 
of  the  Persiar  Mohammedan.     It  only  remains  to 
speak  of  his  attitude  toward  his  non-Moslem  neigh- 
bour.    The  fact  that  they  consider  him  a  defiled 
creature,  and  food  touched  by  him  is  not  to  be  eaten 
by  them,  are  mere  incidents  in  the  great  struggle 
that  had  its  origin  in  Abraham's  household,  when 
Sarah,  in  her  wrath,  cast  out  the  bondwoman  and 
her  son.    From  this  time  forward,  we  find  two  dis- 
tinct Abrahamic  nationalities,  the  sons  of  Isaac,  on 
the  one  hand,  and  those  of  Ishmael.  on  the  other. 
From  Abraham's  household  sprang  the  two  great 
systems  of  monotheistic  religion.  Christianity  and 
Mohammedanism.    The  head  of  the  former  is  Jesus 
Christ,    the   son   of   Abraham   and   of    I.saac.    the 


LANGUAGES,   ETC. 


169 


1 


founder  of  the  other  was  Mohammed,  the  son  of 
Abraham  and  Ishmael.     These  two  opposing  per- 
sonages and  nationalities  have  continued  to  grow 
apart,  until  the  last  century,  each  believing  that  they 
shall  conquer  the  world.    Never  in  the  history  of  the 
world  has  there  been  a  family  quarrel  so  far-reach- 
ing in  its  intluence  and  effect  upon  the  nations  of  tlie 
earth.     Those  who  have  made  a  close  study  of  the 
great  underlying  principles  of  Mohammedanism  are 
not  inclined  to  think  that  its  strong  hold  upon  the 
people  is  due  to  its  form  of  government  and  general 
attitude  towards  morals,  but  rather  to  the  better 
principles  in  the  system,  nearly  all  of  which  they 
have   borrowed    from    Christianity    and    Judaism, 
They  claim  Abraham  as  their  father,  and  through 
him  the  sjK'cial  favour  of  God,  and  hope  for  a  dwell- 
ing with  iiim  in  the  world  to  come.    They  profess, 
and  unquestionably  have,  a  firm  belief  in  the  only 
true  God.    Tliey  believe  in  the  Judgment  Day.  when 
the  rewards  and  punishments  for  deeds  done  in  this 
life  will  be  bestowed.     They  deny  that  the  Chris- 
tians have  the  Word  of  God,  claiming  that  the  true 
records   of   Christ  are   not   now   available.     They 
further  deny  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  although 
they  arc  willing  to  consider  Him  one  of  their  holy 
men. 

The  simple  forms  of  religion,  inaugurated  by  the 
founder  of  this  faith,  have  been  supplemented  by 
tradition  and  special  interpretations  until  it  has 
worked  out  an  elaborate  svstem  of  ritual  and  cere- 


170    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

mony.  But  the  practices  of  the  faith  are :  I.  Con- 
fession of  faith  in  God,  and  that  Mohammed  is  His 
apostle;  2.  Prayer,  usually  five  times  a  day;  3. 
Fasting  during  the  month  of  Ramazan  and  at  other 
'Jtated  times;  4.  Pilgrimages  to  Mecca  and  other 
sacred  shrines;  5.  The  acceptance  of  the  Koran,  to- 
gether with  meritorious  works.  They  do  not  accept 
the  atonement  of  Christ,  and,  consequently,  often 
resort  to  the  sacrifices  of  lambs,  and  sometimes  of 
bullocks. 

That  there  is  a  great  evolution  taking  place,  that 
is  destined  ultimately  to  bring  the  East  to  know  the 
West,  cannot,  I  think,  be  denied.  The  attitude  of  the 
Persians  toward  Europeans  has  been  quite  as  polite 
as  that  of  many  Europeans  towards  them ;  but,  not- 
withstanding unpleasant  incidents  that  are  bound  to 
arise,   for  many  years  to  come,  the  deep-rooted 
prejudice  against  the  Christian  is  certainly  becom- 
ing less.     When  we  remember  that  it  is  four  thou- 
sand years  old,  the  progress  made  during  the  last  fifty 
years  is  little  less  than  marvellous.    This  statement 
is  supported  by  the  history  of  the  nominal  Christian 
colonies    of    Armenians    and    Nestorians    under 
Persia's  rule.     When  we  remember  that  it  is  less 
than  fifty  years  since  a  Nestorian  was  safe  in  riding 
a  horse  (they  were  expected  to  go  on  foot  by  their 
Moslem  neighbours)  and  then  recall  the  many  well- 
to-do  and  substantial  Nestorian  citizens  in  and  about 
Unmiia   to-day,   we  can  understand   better   how 
palpable  has  been  this  progress. 


LANGUAGES,  ETC. 


171 


The  Armenian  communities  throughout  Persia 
are  generally  allowed  complete  liberty  of  conscience, 
and  are  as  secure  as  their  Moslem  neighbours  as  re- 
gards property  rights.  Of  course,  toleration  is  al- 
ways humiliating^  to  a  proud  people,  always  uncer- 
tain, and  may  become  a  stumbling  block.  It  is  not 
free  from  danger,  because  an  imprudent  act,  such 
as  a  rash  word  spoken  against  the  Moslem's  reli- 
gion, may  result  in  great  persecution  to  an  entire 
colony.  It  should  be  said  to  the  Persians'  credit 
that  they  have  never  permitted  such  scenes  as  the 
Armenian  massacres  that  took  place  in  Turkey  a 
few  years  ago. 

In  all  the  larger  places,  the  Armenian  merchants 
are  an  important  element  in  all  business  affairs. 
They  support  schools  for  their  children,  sustain 
churches,  and  are  frequently  very  substantial  and 
prudent  citizens.  Unfortunately,  they  are  often  the 
wine-sellers  of  the  community,  and,  in  a  Mohamme- 
dan land,  a  few  of  this  class  will  bring  opprobrium 
upon  all.  Not  a  few  of  them  are  under  Russian  pro- 
tection, and  much  of  their  trade  is  with  that 
country. 

There  are  supposed  to  be  twenty-five  thousand 
Jews  in  all  Persia,  and  upon  them  has  been  visited, 
as  upon  no  others,  the  hatred  of  Hagar's  descend- 
ants. Much  of  the  persecution  that  has  fallen  upon 
them  is  of  their  own  making.  They  are  experts  in 
all  work  connected  with  precious  metals  and  stones, 
excellent  business  men,  and  in  many  other  lines  of 


172    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

trade  they  could  succeed.  Unfortunately,  they  are 
the  niikers  of  much  wine  and  arrak,  the  pedlers  of 
much  medicine,  that  does  little  good  and  much 
harm,  the  sellers  of  spurious  ancient  coins  and  rugs 
of  little  value,  while  many  of  the  women  are  mid- 
wives  who  practise  in  many  ways  that  are  ques- 
tionable. 

The  dead  are  not  allowed  burial  near  a  Moslem 
graveyard,  and  in  most  places  they  have  their  own 
forlorn  burial-place,  in  many  of  which  they  are  not 
allowed  to  mark  their  graves.  They  are  compelled 
to  live  in  a  separate  quarter  of  the  town,  under  the 
ofificial  care  of  some  Mohammedan,  responsible  to 
the  goverimient  for  their  taxes  and  incidentally  for 
their  conduct  This  ofificer  pays  a  sum  into  the  pub- 
lic treasury  '.ri  collects  what  he  can  from  the 
lieople.  We  can  be  sure  he  collects  plenty,  although 
he  is  not  always  able  to  afford  them  protection. 

A  few  years  ago.  there  arose  a  persecution 
against  the  Jews  throughout  Persia,  resulting  in  an 
irder  compelling  them  to  wear  a  patch  of  red  on 
their  sleeves,  so  that  others  might  not  be  defiled  by 
touching  them.  Of  course,  such  an  order  could  not 
be  carried  out  fully,  but  for  some  time  the  lowly 
ones  found  this  humiliation  easier  to  bear  than  the 
l)ersecution  that  was  showered  upon  ihem  when 
they  went  without  the  patch. 

They  are  not  allowed  to  use  water  iiom  the  tanks 
of  the  Mohammedans,  and  in  the  Jewish  quarter  in 
Teheran  there  is  a  great  cistern  which  is  filled  for 


1 


LANGUAGES,  ETC 


173 


them  every  three  or  four  months.  It  so  happened 
that  this  cistern  was  filled  just  before  the  great  out- 
break of  cholera,  in  1904.  As  this  water  was  clean, 
and  they  were  not  permitted  to  drink  from  other 
places,  their  quarter  of  the  city,  although  the 
filthiest,  was  almost  free  from  the  scourge.  Indeed, 
no  cholera  wcjuld  have  appeared  in  the  quarter 
had  not  they  gone  out  and  bought  some  cheap 
carpets,  which  had  been  used  as  beds  by  cholera 
patients. 

While  they  are  despised,  beaten  without  cause  by 
any  one  who  chooses  to  do  so,  downtrodden  and 
oppicssed,  I  have  yet  to  see  a  stupid  Jew  in  Persia. 
Among  them  are  not  a  few  of  as  honourable  and 
upright  men  as  one  finds  anywhere.  They  are 
especially  clever  in  medicine,  and  one  of  them 
assisted  me  for  eleven  years  in  my  surgical  work  at 
the  hospital.  This  gentleman  had  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  the  entire  community,  regardless  of 
religious  affiliation,  and  deservedly  so.  The  hope 
of  the  Jewish  communities  in  Persia  rests  with  such 
men.  The  social  changes  must  begin  in  the  homes 
of  the  people.  A  liigher  standard  of  life  must  be 
theirs,  before  they  can  command  the  respect  of  any 
class  of  citizens.  At  present,  they  are  the  most 
needy  people  in  Persia,  and  at  the  same  time  are  the 
least  conscious  of  tiieir  needs. 

The  representatives  of  the  most  ancient  religion 
in  Persia,  the  religion  to  which  one  of  the  Wise  Men 
who  went  to  visit  the  Christ  probably  belonged ;  the 


174    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

religion  whose  history  can  be  traced  back  into  the 
times  when  no  records  were  kept  except  by  the  ever- 
lasting ash-hills  upon  which  they  kept  their  fires 
burning  for  ages,  number  but  a  few  thousand  to-day 
in  Persia.  I  refer  to  the  sect  that  is  usually  called 
"  Fire  Worshippers,"  but  more  properly  Parsees  or 
Gucbcrs.  They  are  not  regarded  by  their  Moham- 
medan neighbours  with  hatred.  Of  course,  there 
have  been  outbreaks  against  them,  especially  in 
Yezd  and  other  places,  but  these  had  their  origin  in 
the  desire  for  loot  and  gain.  Communities  of  Par- 
sees  are  found  at  Teheran,  Ispahan,  Kashan,  Yezd, 
Kerman,  and  at  other  points. 

They  dislike  very  much  to  be  called  "  Fire  Wor- 
shippers," although  they  still  have  such  reverence 
for  fire  that  few  of  them  are  cooks,  and  many  will 
not  smoke  a  pipe.  In  appearance,  they  are  not 
unlike  the  Persians,  but  their  speech  always  betrays 
them,  as  it  seems  next  to  impossible  for  them  to 
speak  the  modern  Persian  without  accent.  A  good 
many  of  them  have  become  Mohammedans,  but, 
unlike  the  Jews,  very  few  seem  to  have  gone  with 
the  Babee  movement.  A  considerable  number  are 
engaged  in  trade,  while  the  labourers  make  most  ex- 
cellent gardeners.  Very  few  of  the  fine  gardens  in 
Teheran  are  without  some  Gueber. 

It  is  very  difficult  for  those  who  have  studied  their 
system  most  to  form  very  definite  ideas  of  their 
belief.  In  this,  there  is  a  marked  contrast  when 
compared  with  Mohammedanism.    The  founder  of 


LANGUAGES,   ETC. 


175 


the  sect  is  supposed  to  have  been  Zardosht;  but 
when  and  where  he  Hved  does  not  seem  to  be  clear. 
Its  mysterious  rites  and  lack  of  definite  principles 
have  made  it  impossible  to  withstand  the  aggres- 
sive advances  of  Islam.  As  one  travels  tlirough  the 
country  he  will  see  those  great  mounds  of  ashes 
that  were  once  their  altars  for  worship.  The  great 
oil-wells  at  Baku,  on  the  Casp'-  ,  are  still  held  in 
reverence  by  many  of  the  peasantry,  and  formerly 
were  visited  by  many  of  the  more  religious  of  this 
sect. 

This  sect  is  known  everywhere  for  its  benev- 
olence, and  as  being  the  most  truthful  of  any  of 
Persia's  ancient  peoples.  Although  the  most  ex- 
clusive, they  are  at  the  same  time  the  most  liberal, 
in  many  ways,  of  any  people  the  writer  has  met  in 
Asia.  Not  infrequently  have  they  contributed  to 
philanthropic  movements  without  being  asked, 
and  are  known  as  the  friends  of  hospitals  and 
schools. 

In  Teheran,  they  support  a  primary  and  inter- 
mediate school.  In  this  school,  it  is  understood  that 
the  belief  in  the  existence  of  one  supreme  God,  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the  merits  of  good 
works,  are  taught. 

There  is  unquestionably  amongst  them  a  reveren- 
tial regard  for  the  natural  elements,  and  this  is 
probably  why  they  prefer  to  expose  the  bodies  of 
their  dead  on  the  towers  of  silence,  to  the  usual  cus- 
tom of  burial.     The  large  and  influential  body  of 


176    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

Parsees  in  Bombay  keeps  a  delegate  in  Teheran  to 
look  after  the  welfare  of  their  people.  Being  an 
English  subject,  he  is  in  a  position  often  to  render 
help,  counsel,  and,  when  required,  protection  to  his 
people. 


Xi 


5 


f 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  UPPER  AND  BETTER 
CLASSES 

THERE  is  nothing  in  Persia  that  counts  for 
more  than  shan,  and  is  at  the  same  time 
quite  so  cheap.  This  word,  which  is  in- 
tended to  designate  one's  standing  in  the  commu- 
nity, seems  to  embody  dignity,  honour,  grace, 
culture,  and  wealth.  Moral  worth  may  or  may 
not  enter  into  the  question  of  a  man's  shan,  and  the 
same  may  possibly  be  said  of  culture,  although 
Persian  etiquette  is  proverbial. 

Nearly  everybody  in  Persia  has  a  prefix  to  his 
name.  Very  few  have  surnames,  for  there  are  no 
family  names  to  hand  down  from  one  generation 
to  another  where  polygamy  exists.  I  think  it  is  quite 
safe  to  say  that  ten  per  cent,  of  all  the  male  popula- 
tion in  Persia  bear  the  name  of  AH,  and  an  equal 
number  probably  have  the  name  of  Hosein  and  of 
Hassan.  They  are  very  fond  of  combining  these 
names,  and  one  frequently  hears,  for  example,  Ho- 
sein Ali  and  other  combinations. 

This,  however,  is  not  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  shan 
of  the  individual,  and  so  other  higher  and  more  noble 
titles  are  sought.    The  man  or  woman  who  makes  a 

177 


178    TWENTY   YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

pilgrimage  to  the  shrine  of  tlic  Mohammedan  Saint, 
Imam  Riza,  at  Meshed,  is  forever  afterwards  to  l)C 
known  as  Mcshcdi.  If  his  name  happens  to 
be  Ali,  woe  unto  the  man  who  calls  him  anything 
after  his  pilgrimage  but  Meshedi  Ali.  The  same 
is  true  of  the  greater  shrine  at  Kerbela,  for  pilgrims 
who  have  made  that  journey  are  forever  after  en- 
titled to  the  title  of  Kcrbcli,  which  they  place  be- 
fore their  name.  The  highest  religious  title  is  that 
of  the  Hadji,  which  adheres  to  those  who  have  been 
to  the  sacred  cities  of  Mecca  and  Medina. 

The  title  of  Khan  is  one  conferred  by  the  gov- 
ernment,  and   is   one   of   the   commonest   in   the 
country.    It  was  formerly  given  only  to  those  high 
in  authority,  but  being  hereditary  for  a  generation 
or  two,  the  country  is  full  of  men  claiming  this 
title.     Often  servants,  sons  or  grandsons  of  some 
one  who  had  the  title,  must  be  addressed  as  Khan. 
In  this  case,  if  Ali  happens  to  be  the  Khan,  the 
name  would  precede  the  title,  and  he  would  be 
known  as  Ali  Khan.     His  shan  would  be  a  trifle 
higher  than  the  other  servants',  although  his  duties 
might  be  menial.    This  is  one  of  the  few  titles  that 
may   be    conferred    by    the    provincial    governors. 
Some  of  the  higher  of  these  officials  sometimes  give 
the  title  of  "  Excellency,"  and  the  favoured  one  is 
forever  after  known  as  Gctwbby  Aidec,  So  and  So. 
Governors  are   also  not   infrequently  called   upon 
to  certify  to  a  doctor's  ability  as  a  practitioner, 
and  they  have  been  known  to  give  the  title  of  M.D. 


AMONG   THE   UPPER  CLASSES  179 

to  some  favourite  follower  of  the  healing  art. 
Such  a  certificate  would  probably  say  that  the 
bearer  is  entitled  to  be  forever  afterwards  classed, 
because  of  his  wisdom,  skill,  and  cleverness,  with 
Avicenna,  Plato,  and  Hippocrates.  Young  doctors 
going  into  a  community  immediately  seek  an  en- 
dorsement by  the  governor. 

The  usual  name  for  a  medical  man  is  hakim,  al- 
though the  French  title  of  doctcur  is  now  preferred 
by  many.  By  the  true  Persian,  one  of  the  better 
class  of  practitioners  is  known  as  the  hakim  bashi, 
while  the  European  or  American  doctor  is  usually 
addressed  as  hakim  sahib.  Among  the  medical  pro- 
fession are  many  having  titles,  indicating  usually 
their  shan,  and  we  may  say,  too,  not  infrequently 
their  financial  standing. 

The  two  great  titles  in  Persia  centre  about  the  word 
Molk  and  Dovlch,  the  former  meaning  "  King- 
dom," and  the  latter  "  Government."  For  instance, 
the  title  Emin-ul-Molk  would  mean,  "  The  Faith- 
ful of  the  Kingdom,"  while  Emin-c-Dovlch  would 
mean,  "The  Faithful  of  the  Government."  As  a 
rule,  the  title  of  Dovleh  is  considered  higher  than 
that  of  Molk. 

The  decorations  and  medals  conferred  are  in  a 
separate  class,  and  can  only  be  given  by  the  Crown. 
The  order  of  the  Lion  and  the  Sun  is  the  one  con- 
ferred upon  foreigners,  and  consists  of  four  de- 
grees, first,  second,  third,  and  fourth.  The  first  is 
rarely  conferred  upon  any  but  high  diplomatic  offi- 


180    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

ccrs,  exceptions  to  this  rule  having  been  rare.  The 
well-known  American  missionary.  Dr.  George  \V. 
Holmes,  was  one  of  these  exceptions.  The  second 
degree  is  the  one  usually  given  to  doctors  or  other 
scientific  men.  in  recognition  of  special  service,  and 
to  certain  classes  of  governmental  officers.  The 
third  class  is  given  more  frequently  to  the  heads 
of  departments  in  the  Persian  service;  while  the 
fourth  and  lowest  is  reserved  as  a  convenient  way 
of  showing  appreciation  for  any  and  all  kinds  of 
service  rendered  by  foreigners. 

The  granting  of  these  decorations  is  becoming 
more  and  more  guarded,  especially  since  the  in- 
auguration of  the  National  Assembly. 

With  all  these  titles  it  naturally  follows  that  there 
must  be  much  ceremony  and  etiquette  from  the 
Court  down  to  the  humblest  citizen.  No  matter 
what  hour  of  the  day  the  caller  appears,  he  must 
be  offered  a  cup  of  tea.  This  is  the  national  drink, 
and  is  served  usually  in  small  glasses,  with  sugar, 
no  milk  or  cream,  often  with  a  slice  of  lemon,  and 
if  n(tt  the  fresh  fruit  a  dash  of  juice  from  a  bottle 
is  offered  the  guest.  In  making  formal  calls,  three 
cups  of  tea  are  served,  and  then  a  small  cup  of 
Turkish  coffee,  which  means  that  the  ceremonies  are 
finished.  Before  leaving,  the  guest  must  ask,  "  May 
we  now  be  excused  ?  "  The  answer  is  often,  "  The 
house  is  yours,  exercise  your  own  will." 

The  diflRculty  in  writing  letters  is  in  getting  the 
title  high  enough.    No  one  ever  complains  or  feels 


AMONG   THE    UPPER  CLASSES  181 

hurt  at  any  extravagance  in  high-sounding  names 
and  titles.  They  may  be  meaningless,  and  yet  they 
have  their  place  in  the  Persian  social  world.  So 
common  are  they  in  the  commercial  and  political 
world  that  they  are  passed  over  without  reading, 
while  the  Westerner  I'xiks  upon  them  as  childish 
flattery.  It  is  not  unusual  for  a  letter  to  begin, 
"  His  Exalted  Highness,  the  learned  One  and  Pillar 
of  all  Knowledge  whose  mentality  is  greater  than 
that  of  Aflatoon  (Plato);  the  Incomparable  whose 
virtues  have  filled  the  earth  and  whose  shan  is  more 
brilliant  than  the  stars  that  adorn  the  firmament, 
may  God  prolong  his  life  and  give  him  peace! 
After  presenting  my  greetings  in  this  u.  '  and 
humble  way  to  your  exalted  Excellency,  I  ave  a 
little  petition  to  present,  etc.,  etc."  These  letters 
generally  close  with  such  an  expression  as,  "  Hav- 
ing no  further  petition,  your  humble  slave,  Hosein 
the  son  of  Ali."  The  letter  then  is  sealed  on  the 
opposite  page  from  the  writing.  If  the  letter  is 
an  official  one,  the  seal  bearing  the  title  of  the  writer 
is  used;  if,  however,  it  is  a  personal  one,  the  seal 
bearing  his  name  is  chosen.  The  writing  is 
a  sort  of  shorthand,  very  difficult  to  read,  save 
by  those  who  know  the  language  well,  and  is  written 
from  right  to  left. 

The  writing  of  Persian  letters,  besides  taking 
much  time,  requires  one  thoroughly  versed  in  eti- 
quette, ceremonies,  and  with  more  than  the  usual 
education.    This  gives  employment  to  a  large  nuni- 


182     TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


ber  of  scribes  tbat  are  usually  known  ns  mirza. 
Tbat  is  to  say,  if  the  word  viirza  is  placed  be- 
fore the  name  it  indicates  one  of  these  scribes  or 
teachers.  If  it  follows  the  name,  it  denotes  the 
rank  of  a  prince.  For  instance,  Mirza  Hassan  AH 
is  a  scribe,  but  Hassan  AH  Mirza  is  a  prince.  These 
men  usually  sit  on  the  floor,  hold  the  paper  in  their 
left  hand,  and  write  with  a  reed  pen.  They  make 
their  own  ink,  use  their  hair  as  a  penwiper,  and 
carry  a  pair  of  funny-looking  scissors  with  which 
they  trim  the  paper.  For  such  service  they  receive 
from  six  to  sixteen  dollars  per  month  without  per- 
quisites. Many  of  them  are  from  excellent  families, 
and  are  intelligent  and  delightful  conversation- 
alists. 

The  Persian  secretary  found  in  legations,  in 
large  commercial  houses,  and  acting  as  confidential 
clerks  to  the  wealthy,  are  called  mundjis.  They 
often  have  a  number  of  mirzas  under  them,  who  do 
most  of  the  writing.  Naturally,  this  class  are  better 
paid  and  their  shan  is  higher. 

Nearly  every  large  household  in  Persia  has 
a  naib,  who  represents  the  master  when  the  latter 
is  away  and  acts  in  a  general  way  as  agent  for  the 
family.  Below  him  is  the  steward  or  nazccr,  who 
looks  after  the  servants,  often  procuring  food  for 
the  household  from  the  market,  and,  in  a  general 
way  is  a  superintendent,  taking  his  orders  both 
from  the  master  and  the  naib.  It  is  not  unusual 
for   a   Persian   household   to   require   a   score  of 


AMONG    THE    U  P  P  E  R  C  L  A  S  S  E  S  183 


servants.  These  usually  get  their  noon  luncheon 
and  evening  dinner  at  the  home  of  their  master. 
Many  of  them  are  married  and  live  close  by  in  the 
neighbouriidod.  They  are  paid  from  five  to  ten 
dollars  a  month,  and.  beside  their  food,  are  given 
two  suits  of  clothing  each  year.  It  is  hard  to  get 
them  to  do  more  than  one  thing.  If  the  man  cooks, 
he  will  refuse  to  wait  on  guests,  and  if  a  man  is 
hired  to  drive  the  carriage,  he  often  refuses  to  feed 
the  Iiorses.  and  licnce  this  need  for  many  hands. 
Americans  and  Europeans  residing  in  Persia  gen- 
erally find  men  who  are  willing  t.i  do  any  and  all 
sorts  of  work.  A  large  number  of  servants  about 
a  house  is  an  indication  of  great  slum,  and  is  de- 
sired by  every  Oriental  of  rank.  All  the  better 
cooks  in  Persia  are  men,  and,  indeed,  in  the  Ameri- 
can and  European  homes  in  Teheran,  only  men  are 
employed  as  household  servants. 

The  kitchen  of  a  large  Persian  p^t.iblishment  is 
worth  a  visit.  It  usually  occupies  a  room  all  to 
itself,  not  connected  with  the  house  of  the  ma.ster. 
It  may  be  across  the  street;  indeed,  it  docs  not 
matter  very  nuich  where  it  is,  so  long  as  it  is  in  that 
quarter  of  tiie  town,  for  when  the  food  is  prepared 
it  is  placed  in  large  metal  dislies  to  keep  it  warm. 
These  are  then  ])laced  on  large  wooden  trays  cov- 
ered with  a  heavy  cloth  and  given  to  the  serv- 
ants, wlio  put  the  trays  on  their  heads  and  carry 
them  to  the  different  courts  and  rooms  of  the  es- 
tablishment.    SoniL'times  the  cook  has  been  com- 


184    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

pelled  to  taste  the  food  when  putting  it  in  the  cop- 
per dishes  to  be  sealed,  when  poison  is  suspected. 
But  usually  these  servants  are  very  trusty,  and  it 
is  little  short  of  marvellous  what  savoury  dishes 
they  can  prepare  out  of  so  little  variety.  The  cook- 
ing is  done  over  charcoal  fires,  kindled  in  holes 
made  in  the  floor,  or  upon  a  sort  of  shelf  con- 
structed from  brick  and  mortar. 

The  early  breakfast  of  the  Persian  is  always 
light,  consisting  of  hot  tea,  hot  milk,  a  little  dry 
bread,  fruit,  and  cheese.  Butter  spread  upon  hvcad 
is  rarely  used  by  them,  because  of  the  fact  that 
their  food  is  often  surcharged  with  fat.  The  real 
breakfast  is  served  just  at  noon,  and  consists  of  a 
kind  of  roast  meat,  called  kabobs,  an  abundance 
of  baked  rice,  bread  in  long  sheets,  always  a  vege- 
table, and  fruit  or  melon  in  their  season.  Fish, 
partridge,  and,  in  the  spring,  lamb  are  frequently 
served.  A  favourite  dish  is  called  ficcenjan,  consist- 
ing of  mutton  or  fowl  cooked  until  it  falls  to  pieces, 
over  which  is  poured  a  sauce  made  from  English 
walnuts,  pomegranate  juice,  and  melted  butter. 
The  confectionery  and  desserts  of  the  Persian  are 
rather  too  heavy  for  the  American,  accustomed  to 
his  own  delicious  sweets.  The  word  sherbet  is 
probably  of  Persian  origin,  but  is  used  to  denote 
sweetened  drinks  from  different  fruit  juices,  and 
not  ices,  as  we  use  the  term.  Some  of  these  sher- 
bets are  delicious,  if  one  can  forget  the  ponds  from 
which  the  ice  comes.     But  it  never  does  to  delve 


AMONG   THE   UPPERCLASSES185 


too  deeply  into  kitchens.  No  doubt,  the  West- 
erner in  Persia  would  find  it  hard  to  partake  of  the 
delicious  roast  Iamb,  stuflfed  with  raisins  and  all 
sorts  of  nuts,  if  he  knew  that  the  little  animal  was 
less  than  a  week  old  when  killed. 

The  rice  is  cooked  by  first  boiling  it,  then 
straining  it  and  placing  it  in  a  copper  vessel, 
where  it  is  thoroughly  baked.  When  it  reaches  the 
table,  it  is  quite  dry  and  light.  It  may  be  eaten 
with  gravies,  butter,  or  with  stewed  fruit.  The 
Persians  often  colour  it  ith  saffron.  There  are 
certain  dishes  that  contain  much  grease  and  garlic, 
which  the  writer  has  never  had  the  courage  to  try. 
The  evening  meal  only  differs  from  the  one  at  noon 
by  the  addition  of  soup,  and  is  served  just  before 
bedtime,  whicli  often  is  at  a  late  hour.  The  after- 
noon tea  is  taken  as  regularly  as  the  luncheon  and 
dinner.  All  Persian  meals  are  served  on  the  floor, 
the  tablecloth  being  a  long  striped  sheet  spread  in 
the  middle  of  the  room.  The  man  who  prepares 
the  table  is  not  always  careful  to  keep  from  walk- 
ing on  the  cloth;  indeed,  he  often  seems  to  try  to 
strike  the  middle  in  passing  from  the  door  where 
the  food  is  brought  from  the  kitchen  to  him,  when 
arranging  the  table.  But  it  makes  less  difference, 
for  the  Persian  always  removes  his  shoes  when  in 
the  house,  even  if  he  does  keep  his  head  covered.  He 
thinks  the  \\^estemers  very  rude  to  walk  in  on  the. 
carpets  from  the  muddy  street  with  their  heavy 
boots.    The  thing  he  cannot  understand  is  why  they 


186    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

are  so  careful  to  remove  their  hats,  as  they  say 
it  is  the  cleanest  article  of  clothing.  The  writer 
must  confess  that  he  has  never  been  able  to  ofi'er 
any  explanation. 

When  the  dinner  is  ready,  the  host  arises,  and 
with  a  polite  bow  and  wave  of  the  hand  he  says, 
Bismallali,  which  means,  "  In  the  name  of  God." 
Persia  is  an  old  country,  possibly  the  oldest  in  the 
world,  and  is  evidently  older  than  knives  and  forks, 
for  these  articles  are  not  required  by  them.  Little 
is  said  at  a  Persian  meal,  for  all  are  engaged  in  eat- 
ing with  their  fingers.  Not  a  little  skill  is  required 
to  handle  the  various  articles  of  food  without  mak- 
ing a  frightful  mess. 

The  social  feature  of  a  Persian  dinner  is  "  after 
it  is  over  with,"  as  the  Irishman  might  say.  The 
food  having  been  removed  by  the  servants  who 
are  to  eat  it,  the  kalyan  or  water-pipe  is  prepared 
for  those  who  enjoy  it.  For  a  party  of  twelve,  not 
more  than  two  pipes  would  be  required.  It  would 
be  fii  t  offered  to  the  guest,  while  the  host  would 
have  the  second  turn  at  it.  On  one  occasion,  a 
European  had  a  number  of  callers  and  offered  the 
man  next  to  him  a  cigar.  After  smoking  it  for 
a  few  moments,  he  handed  it  to  the  man  next  to 
him,  who  did  likewise,  and  so  it  went  down  the  line 
to  the  servants  at  the  door,  who  after  a  few  whiffs 
tossed  it  into  the  garden.  If  at  a  party  there  are 
both  Christians  and  Mohammedans,  two  pipes  will 
be  used,  although  this  is  not  always  the  .  ase.  Very 


AMONG    THE    UPPERCLASSES  187 


few  of  the  Europeans  are  brave  enough  to  risk  the 
dangers  of  contagion  from  these  pipes,  by  trying 
them. 

At  these  dinners,  one  rarely  sees  very  much  of 
Persia's  old  china,  but  sometimes  some  rare  pieces 
are  in  evidence.  Sipping  one's  tea  or  coflfee  with 
a  spoon  is  considered  ill-bred,  and  many  of  the 
smaller  spoons  have  the  bowl  perforated  so  as  to 
prevent  this.  The  filigree  work  in  silver  is  often 
very  artistic,  while  the  spoons  made  in  Ispahan  and 
Zenjan  are  much  prized.  The  large  sherbet  spoons, 
beautifully  carved  from  wood,  the  bowl  holding 
from  fou.  o  six  ounces,  the  handle  from  a  foot 
to  a  foot  rmd  a  half  in  length,  are  beautiful  speci- 
mens of  work  in  wood.  Many  of  the  water-pipes 
are  got  up  very  artistically,  and  are  not  infrequently 
inlaid  with  precious  stones. 

In  Teheran,  when  dinners  are  given  by  the  high 
officials  to  a  diplomatist  or  other  European  officials, 
of  course  everything  is  done  along  Western  lines. 
T'we  service  is  usually  immaculate,  the  dinner  of 
many  courses,  and  served  by  servants  thoroughly 
trained  for  such  service.  These  dinners  are  invari- 
ably served  at  eight  in  the  evening,  the  dinner  hour 
throughout  the  European  colony.  Calling  is  always 
done  from  four  till  seven,  and  when  the  dinner  is 
over  the  day's  duties  are  finished.  With  the  poor, 
however,  the  question  of  daily  bread  is  a  consum- 
ing one.  Instead  of  kabobs  and  pilau,  many  are 
compelled  to  subsist  on  dry  bread,  cheese,  and  a 


188    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


little  tea.  Sometimes  they  are  able  to  prepare  for 
themselves  a  little  soup  from  the  heads  of  sheep, 
for  which  they  pay  the  butcher  a  few  pennies.  In 
the  summer  time,  lettuce,  cucumbers,  and  fruit  may 
be  added  to  their  bill  of  fare.  In  the  larger  towns, 
men  may  find  in  the  bazaar  native  restaurants,  where 
for  a  few  pennies  a  large  bowl  of  soup  with  rice 
may  be  purchased.  In  Teheran,  where  thousands 
flock  from  the  villages  seeking  employment  as  la- 
bourers, these  cookhouses  are  important  institu- 
tions. 

Although  chairs  may  be  found  in  nearly  every 
Persian  home,  luey  are  rarely  used,  except  for 
guests,  the  divan  being  preferred.  These  are  often 
put  upon  the  carpet,  without  any  wooden  frame 
under  them.  The  poorer  classes  find  our  most  com- 
fortable chairs  little  short  of  torture,  and  I  have 
seen  a  native  woman  at  church  slip  down  between 
the  seats  and  sit  on  the  floor,  "  to  rest  her- 
self." Bedsteads  are  used  only  by  the  few  who 
have  been  to  Europe,  or  have  come  in  contact  with 
European  civilisation.  Stoves  are  being  introduced, 
but  the  kcrsi,  a  charcoal-fire  under  a  little  short- 
legged  table,  covered  by  a  large  bed-comforter,  is  still 
used  by  the  majority.  By  this  arrangement  the 
family-fire  costs  but  a  few  pennies  per  day.  As 
soon  as  the  weather  begins  to  get  warm,  the  family 
remove  their  beds  to  the  flat  mud-roofs,  where  all 
sleep. 

As  many  of  the  vessels  used  in  the  kitchen  are 


AMONG    THE    UPPER  CLASSES  189 

made  of  copper,  they  must,  in  order  to  prevent  poi- 
soning, be  whitened  with  tin  at  regular  times.  In 
our  own  home,  this  was  attended  to  every  four 
weeks,  the  man  bringing  his  little  forge  and  tin- 
plate  to  the  house.  Fruits  containing  a  good  deal 
of  acid,  cooked  in  these  copper  vessels  with  the  tin- 
plate  off,  is  nearly  always  likely  to  produce  very 
severe  symptoms  of  poisoning,  and  sometimes 
death.  They  are  never  quite  safe  to  use  in  cooking 
fruits. 

The  clothing  worn  by  the  men  of  the  upper 
classes  is  not  unlike  the  Western  dress,  except  that 
the  tail  of  the  coat  is  a  sort  of  pleated  skirt,  long 
enough  to  cover  the  feet  of  the  wearer  when  sitting 
on  the  floor.  The  short  coat  of  the  European  rep- 
resents to  them  all  that  is  vulgar  and  undignified. 
In  the  street,  they  frequently  wear  over  their  Euro- 
pean garb  a  loose  flowing  robe,  made  from  camel's 
hair.  The  hat  of  the  Persian  is  usually  made  of 
lambskin,  and  is  called  a  kolah.  The  turban  is 
only  worn  by  the  ecclesiastics.  The  labouring  class 
wear  a  tight-fitting  cap,  made  from  stiflf  felt,  and  it 
serves  many  purposes.  I  have  seen  men  drink  from 
it,  carry  food  in  it,  and  sometimes  the  mason  has 
used  it  for  mixing  and  carrying  mortar,  when  mak- 
ing small  repairs  about  the  premises.  The  polite 
Persian  never  uncovers  his  head  except  when  at 
prayer. 

To  the  Oriental,  the  bath  is  not  only  a  necessity 
but  is  a  religious  rite.  In  many  homes  a  private  bath 


190    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

is  maintained  for  the  housfhokl.    The  public  baths 
consist  of  a  great  tank  in  which  all  plunge,  the 
water  being  changed   rarely  oftener  than  once  a 
week.    Sometimes  this  same  water  is  made  to  serve 
for  a  month,  being  sterilised  by  heating.     Were  it 
not  for  the  furnace  under  these  tanks  they  would 
prove  a  death-trap  to  all  who  patronise  them.    As 
it  is,  they  are  bad  enough  in  scattering  many  kinds 
of  contagious  diseases.     Thty  are  always  under- 
ground, and  the  rooms  are  kept  at  a  tropical  heat. 
There  are  cooling  rooms,  where  tea  and  the  water- 
pipe  are  offered  their  patrons.    To  take  one  of  these 
baths  properly  requires,  it  is  said,  several  hours. 
It  is  one  of  the  places  in  Persia  not  patronised  by 
the  foreigner,  and  of  which  the  writer  has  little 
personal  knowledge.    He  docs  know,  however,  that 
many  of  his  patients    atronised  them  when  suffering 
from    contagious    diseases.      Besides    offering    its 
patrons  the  benefits  of  a  hot  bath,  there  is  always 
some  one  to  give  massage  and  colour  the  fingers  and 
toes  yellow,  or  rather  reddish-yellow,  with  henna. 
No  personal  adornment  in  Persia  is  so  much  coveted 
as  red  hair  and  beard.    Esix^cially  is  this  true  of  old 
men,  wlio  seek  the  bath  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
their  hair  and  beards  dyed.     The  baths  are  heated 
by  the   refuse    from  the   stable,   and   unless   it   is 
stipulated  in  the  contract,  the  hostler  can  claim  this 
refuse,  as  one  of  his  perquisites.    The  baths  may  be 
recognised  by  those  great  piles  of   fuel  on  their 
roofs. 


AMONG    THE    U  P  P  E  R  C  L  A  S  S  E  S  191 

Very  few  Tersian  homes  have  any  provision  for 
a  laundry,  the  clothes  often  being  washed  iri  the 
open  ditch  by  the  roadside.  The  clothes  are  infre- 
quently b<iiled,  and  soap,  being  an  expensive  article, 
is  often  used  sparingly  by  the  poorer  classes.  No 
machines  or  washboards  are  used,  the  clothes  be- 
ing made  clean  by  rubbing  them  in  the  hands,  or  by 
beating  them  with  a  sort  of  paddle  on  a  large  rock. 
The  subject  of  the  pollution  of  these  streams  by  al- 
lowing them  to  be  used  in  this  way,  has  lieen  con- 
sidered on  several  f)ccasions  by  the  Sanitary  Coun- 
cil. At  one  time,  after  an  outbreak  of  cholera,  pub- 
lic laundries  were  constructed  in  various  parts  of 
Teheran,  but  the  people  declined  to  use  them.  The 
habits  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  are  not  easily 
changed. 

The  Persians  are  very  fond  of  riding,  and  are 
nearly  always  good  horsemen.  They  ride  with  a 
high,  heavy  saddle  and  a  broad  stirrup  with  a  short 
strap,  often  standing  well  off  the  saddle  when  run- 
ning their  horses.  Horses  can  yet  be  said  to  be 
cheap  in  Persia,  although  they  are  much  dearer 
than  they  once  were.  Twenty  years  ago,  a  splendid 
riding  pony  could  be  bought  in  Kurdistan  for 
twenty-five  dollars,  but  to-day  such  an  animal  would 
bring  one  hundred  dollars  in  leheran.  The  best 
horses  that  find  their  way  to  the  Capital  come  from 
Arabia  and  Kurdistan,  although  the  Turkistan  and 
Bakhtiari  breeds  are  often  quite  as  good  for  service. 
T  le  Turkoman  horses  are  very  intelligent  and 


192    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


are  nearly  always  good  trotters.     They  make  ex- 
cellent driving  animals,  as  well  as  riding  ones.    As 
fond  as  the  Persian  is  of  the  saddle,  he  hardly 
considers  it  dignified  to  drive,  and,  consequently, 
he  always  employs  a  driver.    Some  of  these  men 
are  most  cruel,  and  have  little  or  no  idea  how  to 
adjust  the  harness  so  as  to  make  it  easy  for  their 
teams.    Horses,  like  men  in  Persia,  are  supposed 
to  get  the  evil-eye,  and,  when  thus  afflicted,  no  treat- 
ment is  too  cruel  for  them.    In  nearly  every  large 
stable  there  is  kept  a  wild  boar,  to  become  the  kitr- 
ban  or  sacrifice,  in  case  the  evil-eye  strikes  the  stable. 
It  is  thought  that  the  boar  is  particularly  good  in 
receiving  the  evil  intended  for  the  horses.    One  of 
the  writer's  patients,  once  wishing  to  show  his 
gratitude,  sent  him  one  of  these  wild  creatures  from 
the  forest,  but  he  was  less  afraid  of  the  evil-eye 
than  the  tusks  of  the  vicious  brute.    In  the  better 
stables  throughout  the  country  great  care  is  ex- 
ercised in  caring  for  the  horses.     They  are  kept 
scrupulously  clean,  they  are  regularly  exercised  and 
fed,  covered  with  heavy  felt  blankets,  and  a  man 
always  sleeps  in  the  stable  with  them.      Often  a 
wealthy  Persian  will  keep  half  a  dozen  teams  of 
driving  horses   and  half  that   number  of  riding 
ones.    They  prefer  the  large,  heavy  horses  for  driv- 
ing, that  would  only  be  used  in  America  for  drawing 
heavy  loads.    I  do  not  know  why  this  is,  unless  it 
is  because  the  carriages  are  heavy  and  the  roads 
often  rough. 


AMONG   THE    UPPERCLASSES193 


3 


The  women  all  ride  astride,  usually  on  a  sort  of 
pack-saddle,  called  a  pollou.  The  pollon  is  suited 
better  for  the  donke)  than  for  the  horse.  The  don- 
key, however,  is  not  quite  up  to  the  shan  of  the 
upper  classes,  and  is  passing  out  of  use  as  a  riding 
animal,  except  for  certain  ones  of  the  middle  and 
lower  classes.  Good  riding  mules  are  worth  more 
than  horses,  and  are  much  sought  after  as  riding 
animals  by  the  priests  and  merchants.  They  are 
taught  a  short,  easy  pace  by  tying  their  legs  to- 
gether, so  they  can  take  only  short  steps.  After 
they  are  thoroughly  broken,  these  ropes  are  removed 
and  the  pace  becomes  a  fixed  gait. 

For  long  journeys,  where  there  are  women  and 
children  in  the  party,  they  use  a  tackravan  or  kaja- 
vahs.  The  former  is  a  litter  carried  by  two  pack- 
animals,  one  in  front  of  the  other,  supporting  the 
tackravan,  while  the  latter  consists  of  two  large 
boxes,  sometimes  covered  by  a  hood,  a  woman  being 
in  each  box.  With  these  primitive  means  of  travel 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  miles  a  day  may  be  made. 
It  seems  strange  to  see  these  in  Teheran  side  by 
side  with  the  motor-car. 

The  work  of  the  Persian  as  a  copyist  has  already 
been  spoken  of,  but  his  love  for  art  should  also 
be  mentioned.  In  his  love  for  picti.  es  he  differs 
widely  from  his  Turkish  neighbour.  Many  of  the 
Turks  will  have  no  pictures  on  their  walls,  lest  they 
be  considered  by  the  ignorant  as  idolators.  No 
Persian  home,  on  the  other  hand,  is  without  some 


194    TWENTY   YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

sort  of  pictures.  They  may  be  cxiK'Hsive  ones  from 
Europe,  or  tlie  cheapest  sort  of  atlvcrtisi.ig  cuts 
from  newspaiK'rs  ami  magazines.  At  some  of 
the  photographic  estabhshmcnts  luiropcan  patrons 
have  insisted  u{)on  having  the  plate  as  well  as  the 
picture,  in  order  to  keep  copies  from  being  sold. 
It  does  not  seem  to  make  much  difference  to  the 
general  public  whose  picture  it  is,  if  it  is  thought 

artistic. 

The  work  of  the  Persian  artist  is  done  in  both 
oil  and  water-colour.  Some  of  the  large  paint- 
ings of  the  Shahs  that  one  sees  in  the  palaces  are 
excellent.  But  the  pictures  of  Persian  village  life 
are  always  the  most  interesting  to  Westerners.  In 
some  of  these  may  be  seen  very  often  remarkable 
skill,  and  in  these  everyday  scenes  they  seem  to 
be  able  to  present  a  more  exact  perspective.  It  may 
be,  that  the  soul  of  the  artist  enters  more  into  such 
a  picture. 

Over  the  doors  of  the  baths,  inns,  and  city  gates, 
may  be  seen  all  sorts  of  crude  pictures,  mostly  of 
the  chase  or  representing  the  prowess  of  some 
Persian  character.  Most  of  these  arc  absurd  and 
meaningless  to  the  Westerner.  Some  of  them  are 
representations  of  giants,  by  the  side  of  dwarfs, 
four-footed  beasts  with  wings,  boys  with  green 
faces,  all  with  tremendously  big  bodies  and  small 
limbs.  They  certainly  have  the  merit  of  being 
original.  The  attempt  to  copy  many  of  the  famous 
pictures  in  Europe  has  produced  many  cheap  imita- 


'pr^H^^^^H 

63^ 

^^HB^^^^  "~v  .  ""^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^I 

r. 


X 
A 


AMONG  THE  UPPER  CLASSES  195 

tions  and  cannot  be  said  to  liave  helped  Persian 
art.  Wlien  \vc  consider  how  httle  opportunity  the 
Persian  artist  has  had,  there  being  no  p'^lli.  i-Viltr- 
ies  or  museums,  his  work  speaks  strc  igly  for  his 
native  talent. 

The  writing  of  books  is  becoming  mor.'  end  r'ore 
'jmmon,  and  while  many  scribes  are  kept  busy 
opying  rare  and  useful  manuscripts,  modern  ideas 
liave  so  taken  hold  of  the  people  that  in  Teheran 
there  are  not  less  than  four  large  steam  printing 
establishments,  prepared  to  turn  out  work  in  ten 
languages.  With  these  busy,  and  a  half-dozen  daily 
papers  being  published  in  the  Capital,  it  is  hard  to 
see  why  progress  in  education  and  learning  shall 
not  from  this  time  forward  be  rapid. 


XII 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  LOWER  CLASSES 

THE  word  pairdeh,  in  Persian,  means  cur- 
tain. In  studying  and  trying  to  interpret 
the  lives  of  any  Oriental  people  we  find, 
very  frequently,  the  pairdeh  drawn.  We  see  the 
drama  of  life  played  as  from  a  box  in  a  theatre,  and 
the  changing  scenes  nove  so  swiftly  along,  now 
tragedy  and  then  comedy,  that  we  forget  the  forces 
behind  the  curtains  producing  the  different  acts. 
This  is  very  definitely  the  case  in  a  country  like 
Persia,  where  the  extremes  of  wealth  and  poverty, 
joy  and  sadness,  enlightenment  and  superstition, 
education  and  mysticism,  dwell  side  by  s  le  as 
neighbours.  But  we  do  get  behind  the  scenes  some- 
times, and  even  to  those  of  us  accustomed  to  the 
sombre  colours  of  Oriental  life,  it  frequently  comes 
as  a  jolt  and  shock. 

It  was  Tlianksgiving  eve.  The  day  had  been 
a  long,  hard  one,  with  the  endless  duties  incident 
to  the  management  of  an  hospital.  The  last  patient 
had  been  attended  to  for  the  night,  and  the  bright 
lights  of  the  wards  had  given  place  to  the  dim 
shades  of  the  candle.  The  night  nurse  moved 
quietly  in  and  out  among  the  beds,  to  see,  if  per- 

198 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES 


197 


chance,  his  services  might  be  needed.  The  scene, 
gloomy  enough  in  itself,  was  perhaps  made  worse 
for  us,  by  the  fact  that  the  morrow  was  to  be,  in 
the  iiomeland,  a  glad  holiday,  and  by  the  con- 
templation of  the  many  happy  reunions  of  friends, 
in  which  we  could  have  no  part.  Years  may  dull  the 
keen  appreciation  of  the  sojourner  in  Persia  along 
some  lines,  but  never  his  love  for  his  native  land.  I 
have  observed  this  often  among  those  Europeans 
born  in  Persia.  They  always  refer  to  their  father's 
native  land  as  theirs,  and  count  the  years  until  they 
can  go  "  home." 

On  this  special  Thanksgiving  eve,  I  turned  my 
face  homeward,  where  I  found  the  fire  in  the  library 
grate  burning  brightly,  and  the  easy-chair  seemed 
espec'ally  inviting.  The  weekly  post  had  come  dur- 
ing the  day,  bringing  home  letters  and  papers.  I 
scanned  the  paper,  hoping  to  find  word  from  some 
old  acquaintance.  The  fire  in  the  grate  had  burned 
low,  when  suddenly  I  was  awakened  from  my  doz- 
ing by  the  cry  of  the  night  watchman :  "  The  first 
watch  of  the  night  is  ended  and  all  is  well,  all  is 
well !  "  How  his  voice  rang  out  on  the  cold  night 
air !  I  roused  myself  and  went  to  the  window,  and 
wh''2  I  stood  there,  a  beautiful  carriage  fresh  from 
Moscow,  drawn  by  massive  Russian  horses,  passed 
out  of  a  neighbouring  garden.  The  occupants  were 
of  the  official  class,  and  had  been  spending  the  even- 
ing socially,  at  a  near-by  palace.  It  was  the  month 
of  fasting.    The  light  on  the  great  mosque  near-by 


198     TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

went  down,  the  gates  of  the  city  were  closed,  and 
within  the  walls  of  this  great  Asiatic  capital,  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  human  beings  slept. 
But  there  were  some  that  did  not. 

Looking  out  in  the  garden  I  saw  a  dim  lantern, 
carried  by  a  young  man  accompanied  by  an  old 
woman  who  seemed  to  be  the  boy's  mother.    I  could 
have  guessed  their  errand,  for  no  one  would  venture 
out   at   tliat   time  of   night   except    for  a   doctor. 
Anticipating  a  night  call,  I  quickly  discarded  my 
slippers  for  some  heavy  boots,  donned  a  heavy  coat, 
and  was  ready  to  go  with  them  when  they  reached 
the  door.    The  boy  said  little,  but  the  poor  mother 
poured  out  her  tale  of  woe  and  sorrow.    Her  eldest 
son,  a  shoemaker  in  the  bazaar,  tlie  support  of  the 
family,  had  been  taken  with  a  severe  cold,  which  had 
developed  into  pneumonia.     The  native  hakim  had 
refused  to  attend  the  case  longer,  as  he  feared  he 
would  be  blamed  if  the  patient  died.     In  their  dis- 
tress, they  had  consulted  the  astrologer,  who,  after 
making  the  istakharreh,  advised  them  to  try,  as  a 
last  resort,  one  of  the  foreign  doctors,  hence  their 
midnight  call. 

The  size  of  the  lantern,  as  well  as  the  garb 
of  the  boy  indicated,  if  not  extreme  poverty, 
a  lowly  station  in  life.  Their  home  was  in  a 
crowded  quarter  beyond  the  great  thoroughfare 
leading  to  the  railway  station  and  the  gate  of  Shah- 
Abdul-Azim.  Many  of  the  lamps  in  the  street  had 
gone  out,  for  only  sufficient  kerosene  is  put  in  them 


13 


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on 

0L, 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES 


199 


to  burn  until  midnight.  Those  that  burned  longer 
only  servcil  to  make  the  night  appear  blacker.  As 
we  hurried  along  the  street,  the  son  and  I  in  front, 
with  the  old  woman  following  some  yards  behind 
keeping  up  a  constant  talking,  we  were  brought  face 
to  face  with  a  half-crazy  fellow,  ,vho  had  often  been 
at  the  hospital.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me,  he  said, 
"  Salaam,  Hakim  Sahib,  I  was  just  going  to  your 
place;  they  are  all  dead;  don't  tell  anybody  that  it 
is  cholera,  but  that  is  what  it  is;  we  thought  the  dis- 
ease was  o\  er  in  the  town,  but  God  knows  best ;  they 
were  all  that  I  had.  and  I  have  no  money  with  which 
to  bury  them.  The  house  is  just  on  the  road,  and  if 
you  think  I  am  only  begging,  come  in  and  see.  We 
wish  to  bury  them  early  in  the  morning,  and  we 
have  no  moiiey  to  pay  for  preparing  the  body  at 
the  proper  place."  I  promised  to  stop  upon  my 
return  and  this  satisfied  him. 

The  house  of  a  sick  man  is  always  filled  with 
friends  and  curious  neighbours,  who  advise  all  sorts 
of  unthinkable  remedies  and  charms.  Our  patient, 
the  pneumonic  shoemaker,  was  no  exception.  His 
bed,  a  hard  pallet  on  the  floor,  was  surrounded  by 
anxious  friends  who  were  depending  upon  an  old 
woman  for  medical  adxice.  The  case  was  so  serious 
that  two  chickens  had  already  been  killed  and  ap- 
plied warm  to  the  patient's  feet,  as  a  restorative, 
while  he  was  being  dosed  every  few  minutes,  with 
some  vile  decoction,  the  composition  of  which  was 
only  known  to  the  old  woman  who  sat  at  his  feet. 


200    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

C.iarms,    quotations    from    tlie    Koran,    written 
prayers,  and  small  bricks  made  from  earth  from 
some  sacred  shrine,  were  all  in  evidence  and  formed 
no  small  part  of  the  treatment.    A  neighbour  had 
been  sent  for  a  lamb  that  would  be  sacrificed  early 
in  the  morning,  if  the  case  did  not  improve.    The 
little   furniture   in   the  house   and   the   poor   old 
woman's  few  belongings  were  already  mortgaged 
and  the  money  was  being  used  in  saving  the  bread- 
winner of  the  family.     The  patient  was  suffering 
mtense  pain  and  had  great  difficulty  in  breathing. 
With  some  good  blisters  and  proper  remedies,  I  left 
him  after  an  hour,  and  turned  my  face  homeward, 
stopping  as  I  had  promised  at  the  house  of  the  crazy 
wanderer. 

I  have  not  the  power  to  describe  the  wretched- 
ness of  this  place  they  called  home.    It  was  not  far 
from  one  of  the  bazaars,  and,  to  get  to  it,  we  had 
to  climb  a  sort  of  ladder.    It  was  the  home  of  the 
outcasts,  and  for  those  who  can  trulv  say,  "  No  one 
careth  for  me!  "    Disease  and  death  were  stamped 
on  the  faces  of  the  women.     It  was  among  such 
that  the  sister  and  mother  of  the  half-crazy  AH 
Jan  lived  and  died.    They,  like  many  of  their  neigh- 
bours, had  seen  better  days,  but  reverses  had  started 
them   on   the    road    that    leadeth    to   destruction 
Cholera   had   left    the   city   as  an   epidemic,   but 
isolated    cases    were    yet    appearing.     The    night 
before  they  had  feasted  upon  melons  and   fruit. 
This   was    followed    by   the   usual   symptoms   of 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES 


201 


cholera,  and  death.  Others  living  in  little  mud 
rooms  c'l  the  roof  were  ill  with  the  disease.  In  one 
of  them  was  an  old  woman,  a  sort  of  sorceress,  who 
lived  with  her  son,  who  kept  a  large  baboon  with 
which  he  gave  exhibitions  on  the  street  and  in  the 
tea-houses.  The  horrid  creature's  eyes  shone  from 
the  corner  of  the  room  where  he  was  crouched,  and 
he  seemed  to  realise  the  terror  of  those  about  him. 
I  did  not  go  into  the  room  of  the  dead  farther  tlian 
the  door,  for  tliere  was  nothing  a  physician  could 
do  for  them,  and  the  rites  of  burial  are  always 
sacred.  I  could  already  smell  the  camphor  which 
permeated  the  tattered  shroud  or  coffin  covering 
that  had  been  used  many  times  before.  A  long  piece 
of  white  muslin  had  been  resurrected  from  some- 
where with  which  to  wrap  the  bodies.  This  muslin 
would  be  all  their  burial  would  require,  except  a 
rented  coffin,  and  the  shroud  which  they  had  alreatly 
procured.  Tlie  poor,  when  dead  in  Persia,  after  the 
body  is  washed  and  wrapped  in  white  muslin,  are 
placed  in  a  rough  wooden  bo.x,  a  strong  handle  ex- 
tending from  each  corner.  The  body,  placed  in 
this  box,  is  carried  from  the  house  '■■  y  friends.  The 
first  person  of  his  religion  that  is  met,  is  expected 
to  relieve  one  of  the  pall-bearers,  and  thus  the  body 
is  shifted  from  shoulder  to  shoulder  until  the  grave 
is  reached.  Those  who  assist  at  funerals  and  act 
as  pall-bearers  are  thought  to  be  performing  acts 
of  great  merit.  There  is  a  place  set  apart  for  wash- 
ing the  dead  where  a  small  fee  is  charged.     The 


202    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

total  expense  of  a  respectable  burial  among  the 
lowly  ,n  Persia  amounts  to  less  than  two  dollars 
The  coffin,  and  shawl  used  to  cover  it.  are  always 
returned,  and  the  body  consigned  to  tlie  elements 
vyith  but  a  simple  shroud  of  white  muslin.  The 
c  otinng  of  the  dead  is  often  sold  to  the  second-hand 
shops  in  the  bazaar. 

After  prescribing  for  some  of  the  others  who 
were  ,11.  and  contributing  to  the  little  fund  required 
for  tlie  burial.  I  gladly  withdrew.  Just  before  the 
gray  hght  of  early  morn  threw  its  rays  upon  the 
snow-covered,  hoary-headed  Mount  Demavend  I 
reached  home  from  my  visits. 

As  days  passe.I  by.  our  shoemaker,  whom  we 
knew  as  "  The  Penadooz."  grew  better,  but  the  dis- 
ease was  stubborn,  enc'ing  in  an  abscess  that  -e- 
quired  his  removal  to  the  b.ospital  for  an  operation 
Here  he  remained  until  the  warm  days  of  spring  had 
come  and  the  violets  were  bursting  forth  in  great 
bunches  in  the  hospital  garden,  while  large  glass 
jars  of  blooming  dafifodils  had  been  sent  in  by  the 
policeman  who  hoped  for  his  annual  Norooc  pres- 
ent.   The  mother  came  regularly  to  see  him,  rarely 
forgettmg  the  bunch  of  benafchccs.     These  bou- 
ciuets  of  violets  and  a  profusion  of  thanks  settled 
tlieir  medical  bill.     I  declined  his  kind  offer  of  a 
pair  of  Persian  shoes  to  be  given  upon  a  promise 
rrum  me  to  wear  them ! 

I  think  it  must  have  been  quite  a  year  before  our 
patient  came  again  to  see  us.    Instead  of  being  the 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES 


208 


pale,  anaemic  man  that  had  left  us,  he  seemed  now 
the  picture  of  health.  His  loyalty  and  devotion  to 
the  hospital  had  not  ceased  to  abound,  and,  although 
his  expressions  of  friendsiiip  were  filled  with  Ori- 
ental extravagances,  there  shone  through  them  all  a 
gratitude  that  was  unfeigned. 

The  purpose  of  his  visit  at  this  time  was  to  invite 
us  to  his  wedding.  By  economy  and  faithful  work 
he  had  prospered  until  he  could  now  boast  the  own- 
ership of  his  own  ducan,  or  shop  in  the  kizaar.  The 
mortgage  held  by  tlie  Jewish  money-lender  had  been 
redeemed,  and  they  now  had  their  Iinusehold  goods 
all  back.  Their  path,  so  dark  the  year  before,  now 
seemeil  to  be  full  of  hoi)e  and  happiness. 

In  Persia,  the  marriage  ceremony  is  divided  into 
two  parts:  the  akhd  or  betrotlial,  and  the  aniscc  or 
wedding  ceremony.  In  the  Mohammedan  law  both 
are  legal  marriages,  the  first  .settling  the  questions 
arising  from  property  held  by  one  or  both  of  the 
parties,  while  the  second  is  held  when  the  bride  is 
claimed  by  the  groom.  Thes&  ceremonies  may  be 
ten  years  apart,  or  ten  weeks.  Many  marriages  in 
Persia  a^-e  based  solely  upon  convenience,  and  with 
regard  to  property.  It  is  not  unusual  for  a  girl  of 
ten  to  be  legally  betrothed.  In  such  a  case  she  has 
become  the  legal  wife  of  a  man  she  probably  has 
never  seen,  and  in  fact  before  slie  has  the  slightest 
conception  of  the  meaning  of  the  word.  Sometimes 
a  marriage-broker,  or  zvkil,  arranges  one  of  these 
contracts,  for  which  he  receives  some  sort  of  com- 


804    TWENTY   YEAhS   IN   PERSIA 

mission  or  reward.    Not  a  few  of  these  match-mak- 
ers are  old  women.    Their  duty  is  very  easy  if  the 
bride  is  a  child  and  all  arrangements  can  l)e  made 
through  the  iwrents.    But  if,  as  sometimes  happens, 
It  is  a  young  woman  of  more  mature  judgment,  tlie 
task  is  not   so  easily  and  quickly  i)erf(jrmed.     It 
sometimes  happens  that  these  matches  are  arranged 
between  children  who  have  grown  up  in  the  same 
household,  in  which  case  the  broker  can  have  no 
part.     It  \v^as  such  a  case  as  this  that  had  been 
arranged   between  our   friend  the  .shoemaker  and 
his  prospective  l)ride.     She  was  the  daugliter  of  a 
neighbour,  and  he  had  known  her  as  a  child.    This 
was  quite  different  from  many  of  the  Persian  mar- 
riages, where  neither  of  the  parties  to  t'-e  contract 
has  ever  .seen  the  other.     The  shoemaker  had  been 
engaged  for  a  year  before  his  illness,  the  ceremony 
having  been  conrhicted  by  a  mollah  who  had  .sat  in  a 
doorway,   the  liride  with   her   mother  and   other 
women  relatives  and  friends  in  one  room,  while  the 
groom  with  his  friends  .sat  in  the  other.    The  mollah 
read  off  a  long  list  of  property,  real  and  personal, 
belonging  to  the  bride,  which  the  groom  accepted 
in  trust.     Of  course,  she  had  nothing,  and  these 
things  were  named  to  pre\  ent  her  being  sent  off  pen- 
niless in  after-years  by  her  husband.     In  case  he 
wished  to  divorce  her.  she  wouM  have  this  claim 
against  him.     We  might  -ommend  this  system  to 
certain  .American  communities. 

The  house  of  Shircen,  the  bride,  was  next  to  that 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES 


205 


of  The  Penadonz,  and  ''  wn  in  their  quarter  of  the 
town  there  are  no  yards.  In  the  court  in  which  she 
lived,  there  were  not  less  than  a  half-dozen  other 
families.  She  dwelt  witlj  her  mother  in  the  balali- 
khanah,  the  upper  rf)onis  reached  by  some  brick 
steps  that  were  fast  fallinj^'  to  pieces.  In  the  centre 
of  the  court  was  a  tank  of  water,  perhaps  tliirty 
feet  long  and  twenty  feet  wide.  The  water  in  this 
tank  was  considered  especially  good,  as  the  aqueduct 
could  he  turned  in  and  the  water  changed  whenever 
desired.  The  pavement  of  the  court  was  made  of 
sla'>s  of  stone,  except  some  few  circular  spaces  that 
had  been  left  for  flowers.  In  one  of  these  grew  an 
almond  tree,  the  heavy  bloom  with  which  it  was  cov- 
ered indicatinpf  the  approach  of  spring. 

The  wedding  day  was  calm  and  free  from  all 
wind,  and  the  warm  spring  sun  made  the  court  more 
pleasant  than  the  damp  rooms  on  the  roof.  Carpets 
had  been  borrowed  and  spread  over  the  pavement 
in  the  court,  the  water  in  the  tank  had  been  changed, 
and  its  stone  curbing  had  been  decorated  by  a  row  of 
flower  pots.  These  were  supplemented  by  vases  of 
cut  flowers,  while  dried  rose  leaves  had  been  scat- 
tered broadcast  all  over  the  courtyard.  A  huge 
samovar  had  been  obtained  from  a  tea-liouse  in  the 
bazaar,  and  all  day  long  it  kept  up  its  hissing,  like 
a  steam  engine,  as  dozens  of  cups  of  tea  were  drawn 
from  it.  It  had  a  close  rival,  however,  in  popularity 
in  the  three  kalyans  or  water-pipes,  that  were  kept 
passing  from  one  to  another  of  the  guests.     Only 


206     TWENTY    YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

tlie  women  were  allowed  in  this  court,  -ind  from 
early  in  the  morning  they  came  and  went.    Tea,  the 
water-pipe,   sherbets,   and   sweets   were   served   in 
abundance.    The  bride  was  bundled  up  in  a  new  silk 
chuddar  and  a  full  trousseau,  all  being  the  gift  of 
the  groom.    Around  her  neck  were  a  few  small  gold 
coins,  several  silver  ones,  and  a  string  of  blue  glass 
beads.     Her  eyebrows  had  been  well  blackened  by 
a  pencil  for  this  purpose,  and  not  a  little  paint  had 
been  applied  to  her  cheeks.    As  the  guests  entered, 
an  old  woman  who  had  thrust  her  services  upon 
them  acted  as  hostess,  while  the  mothers  of  the  bride 
and  groom  were  botli  engaged  in  serving  refresh- 
ments.   The  guest  invariably  said,  "  May  yojr  wed- 
ding be  blessed!  "    The  host  replied,  "  In  the  name 
of  God  enter ;  your  kindness  in  coming  to  assist  is 
very  great !  "     Then  the  guest  would  be  sprinkled 
with  a  little  rosewater,  offered  the  kalyan,  and  later 
was  served  with  pomegranate  or  orange  sherbets. 

Over  the  wall,  in  the  shoemaker's  own  home,  the 
men  had  assembled,  and  the  scene  was  much  the 
same,  except  that  the  crowd  was  more  hilarious. 
Some  friends  of  The  Penadooz  had  sent  for  a 
sin.-^er,  a  wandering  soloist,  who  sang  much  to  the 
amusement  of  the  crowd  and  to  the  groom's  dis- 
comfort. He  began  in  a  soft  plaintive  tone  in  a 
minor  key,  then  lifted  his  voice  until  it  became  dis- 
agreeably shrill  and  could  be  heard  in  tlie  neigh- 
bouring yard  where  the  women  were  assembled.  As 
the  singer's  face  reddened  with  his  efforts  and  his 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES        807 

eyes  seemed  bursting  from  his  head,  the  fifteenth 
verse  of  his  song  was  reached,  which  was  a  "  take 
off"  on  the  groom.  It  said  that  his  heart  had 
warmed  until  it  had  become  as  crisp  as  roast  meat, 
and  that  no  one  could  wonder  at  this  when  the  bride 
was  sweeter  than  the  dew  on  the  rose  leaf,  and  other 
extravagant  compliments.  The  laughter  and  flap- 
ping of  hands  by  the  assembled  crowd  of  men  found 
an  echo  over  the  wall  where  the  women  were 
gathered. 

In  the  afternoon  a  buffoon,  the  son  of  the 
sorceress  that  we  had  seen  with  his  mother  on  the 
night  of  our  first  visit  to  the  house  of  the  shoe- 
maker, was  there  with  his  baboon,  hoping  to  pick  up 
a  few  pennies  from  the  crowd.  He  had  with  him 
also  a  bear  which  furnished  the  children  much 
amusement. 

The  day  passed  rapidly  and  as  night  approached 
the  whole  place  was  lighted  by  dozens  of  blue  lamps 
and  candles.  These  lamps  are  rented  from  the 
bazaar.  Dinner  of  rice,  meat,  fruit,  and  sweets  was 
served.  Towards  midnight  there  was  a  general 
cessation  of  the  noise  and  confusion  about  the  place. 
A  band  of  music  was  brought,  the  procession  was 
formed,  the  soloist  sang  some  special  song,  the  flat 
mud  roofs  were  crowded  with  women  and  children, 
while  the  crowd  of  men  went  with  the  groom  to 
claim  the  bride.  The  ceremony  in  which  the  priest 
had  a  part  was  simple  and  had  been  arranged  early 
in  the  day,  so  that  it  only  remained  for  the  groom  to 


208    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

claim  his  bride.  Nearly  all  the  men  in  the  proces- 
sion carried  lanterns,  while  their  leader  led  the  way 
with  a  lighted  arch,  lifted  high  on  a  long  pole.  Had 
the  distance  been  great,  a  horse  would  have  been 
provided ;  as  it  was,  carpets  were  spread  from  door 
to  door  for  the  bride  to  walk  upon.  As  the  groom 
crossed  the  threshold  of  Shireen's  home  a  lamb 
was  sacrificed.  The  bride  was  led  to  the  door  and 
given  over  to  her  husband  amid  a  tremendous  noise 
of  alleged  music  and  the  cheers  of  their  friends.  As 
the  crowd  moved  away  from  the  door,  the  women, 
who  had  gone  out  to  meet  the  bridegroom  with 
their  lamps,  now  turned  back  and  the  ceremony  was 
over.  The  day  made  plain  the  parable  recorded  in 
the  twenty-fifth  chapter  of  Saint  Matthew's  Gospel, 
of  the  wise  and  foolish  virgins. 

I  did  not  see  the  shoemaker  again  until  the  fol- 
lowing August.  The  day  had  been  unbearably  hot, 
and  I  was  just  leaving  the  hospital  for  my  week-end 
rest  in  the  hills  one  Saturday  evening,  when  he 
appeared  at  the  gate  with  his  mother  to  ask  me  to 
go  to  see  a  friend  of  theirs  who  was  ill.  The  case 
was  one,  I  gathered  from  them,  requiring  immediate 
relief,  or  two  lives  would  be  sacrificed.  The  woman 
was  a  sort  of  relative  of  theirs,  who  had  been 
deserted  by  her  husband  some  months  before,  and 
she  had  accepted  employment  in  the  house  of  a 
dealer  in  horses  who  lived  in  the  Sangalatch  quarter 
of  the  town,  in  order  to  supply  herself  and  little  girl, 
some  three  years  old,  with  bread. 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES 


209 


I  took  my  assistant,  and  although  we  hurried  as 
rapidly  as  possible  to  the  place,  it  was  quite  dark 
before  we  arrived.  The  high  walls  of  the  narrow 
streets  were  hot  to  the  touch  and  threw  oflf  their 
reflected  heat  until  one  was  almost  stifled.  We 
found  the  poor  woman  on  a  sort  of  broad,  wooden 
bench  in  an  open  courtyard,  where  she  had  been 
for  nearly  forty-eight  hours.  An  examination 
clearly  revealed  that  one  life  had  been  sacrificed,  the 
question  now  was,  could  the  mother  be  saved  ?  The 
ignorant  midwife  who  was  responsible  for  these 
conditions  sat  on  her  heels  in  the  corner  and  said 
nothing.  A  little  chloroform,  an  operation  that 
required  but  a  few  minutes,  carried  the  woman 
over  a  crisis  that  had  threatened  to  overwhelm  her. 
This  is  only  one  incident  among  many  where  mod- 
ern scientific  methods  have  commended  themselves 
to  the  Oriental  mind. 

it  has  been  well  said  that  "  half  the  world  thinks 
with  its  eyes."  I  remember  one  evening,  just  before 
sunset,  being  in  my  office  at  the  hospital  when  the 
door  opened  and  a  patriarchal-looking  man  entered. 
His  dignified  bearing,  long  flowing  beard,  large 
turban  and  loose  robes,  plainly  stated  that  he 
belonged  to  one  of  the  professions.  Whether  it  was 
theology,  law,  or  medicine,  I  could  not,  of  course, 
know.  After  inviting  him  to  sit  down,  and  passing 
the  usual  complimentary  Persian  phrases,  I  asked 
him  if  I  could  in  any  way  serve  him.  He  replied, 
"I  am  a  surgeon,  and  returning  from  the  Court 


m 


210    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


of  Dochen  Tapeh,  was  overtaken  by  the  storm,  and 
having  heard  of  the  hospital  I  decided  to  stop  and 
visit  it."  I  then  told  him  that  nothing  gave  us  more 
pleasure  than  calls  from  our  professional  friends 
and  invited  him  to  inspect  the  establishment.  He 
seemed  delighted  with  what  he  saw,  and  all  went 
well  until  the  surgery  was  reached.  When  he  saw 
the  various  instruments  and  appliances  he  seemed 
somewhat  irritated  and  expressed  his  opinions 
in  no  uncertain  terms  concerning  them.  He  said 
they  were  quite  unnecessary,  that  when  he  wished 
to  perform  a  surgical  operation  he  did  not 
need  sterilizers,  gowns,  and  assistants,  but  simply 
rolled  up  his  sleeves,  called  to  the  prophets 
for  aid,  and  before  the  spectators  had  realized 
what  had  been  done,  the  operation  was  finished. 
"Do  the  patients  get  well?"  I  asked.  "That 
rests  with  God,"  was  the  fatalistic  answer;  "my 
work  is  done  when  the  operation  is  finished ! " 
When  I  showed  him  some  rather  large  stones  that 
had  been  removed,  he  asked  if  they  contained 
diamonds.  I  had  to  confess  that  so  far  we  had 
found  nothing  of  that  kind  in  them.  "  Why,  then," 
he  asked,  "  do  you  take  the  trouble  to  remove 
them?" 

Notwithstanding  the  ignorance  of  this  old  man, 
he  was  evidently  wishing  to  learn,  and  so  he  was 
invited  to, the  clinics  and  our  acquaintance  grew  into 
a  sincere  friendship.  As  much  harm  as  this  man 
was  capable  of  doing  as  a  surgeon,  he  was  a  great 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES 


«11. 


improvement  over  the  barber-surgeon  and  barber- 
dentist.  Besides,  he  became  anxious  and  eager  to 
learn,  and  what  he  acquired  from  Western  medicine 
greatly  increased  his  usefulness  as  a  practitioner 
and,  better  than  all,  resulted  in  his  giving  up  surgery 
entirely.  Most  of  the  surgery  done  in  Persia  has 
been  done  by  the  barbers.  Their  methods  are  most 
cruel,  foul,  and  objectionable.  Of  course,  the  more 
intelligent  classes  are  not  treated  by  th'^m,  but  this 
chapter  is  dealing  with  the  low!y,  those  who  have 
not  had  opportunity  to  see  the  results  of  Western 
science.  With  the  upper  classes  the  barber's 
services  in  a  medical  way  are  confined  to  the  taking 
of  blood.  This  is  done  in  two  ways,  by  opening  a 
vein  in  the  arm  and  by  the  application  of  leeches. 
These  leeches  are  kept  in  great  jars  in  the  shops  of 
the  barbers,  and  it  is  not  an  unusual  sight  to  see  a 
man  having  the  operation  of  blood-letting  performed 
by  opening  a  vein,  in  the  street,  usually  just  in  front 
of  their  door. 

The  number  of  legal  wives  allowed  by  Moham- 
medan law  is  four,  but  any  number  of  sccgahs,  or 
concubines,  may  be  taken.  These  latter  are  easily 
cast  off,  and  the  result  is  that  many  hardships  are 
thus  inflicted.  Sometimes  they  are  able  to  find  em- 
ployment in  large  households  as  maids,  or,  as  they 
are 'called  in  Persia,  bodjccs.  Not  infrequently 
they  are  taken  as  plural  wives  of  some  other  man,  in 
order  to  get  their  services  as  maids  for  the  more 
favoured  ones.    Often,  after  years  of  struggle,  sick- 


;i|i 
*>(■' 


'ii 


212    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


ness  overtakes  them  and  they  are  cast  out  by  some 
wicked  master  into  the  street.  To  such  as  these, 
the  hospital  comes  as  a  haven  of  rest  and  blessing. 
But  often  the  hospital  does  not  have  them  until  dis- 
ease has  so  firmly  fixed  its  grasp  upon  them  that 
nothing  permanent  can  be  done  for  them.  These 
poor  women  may  often  be  seen  sitting  by  the  road- 
side with  no  place  to  go,  every  door,  seemingly, 
closed  against  them.  They  are  the  result  of  a  ter- 
ribly distorted  social  system. 

A  few  years  ago,  a  well-known  European  family 
in  Teheran  had  taken  one  of  these  poor  women  into 
the  family  as  nurse.  She  was  a  woman  of  good 
character,  lately  arrived  from  the  Bakhtiari  coun- 
try, but  had  been  deserted  by  her  husband  in 
Teheran.  She  had  a  little  girl  about  eleven  years 
old  whom  she  kept  with  her.  An  attempt  was  made 
by  some  men  to  kidnap  the  child.  In  escaping  from 
them  she  ran  into  an  open  well  and  was  killed. 
Nothing  could  be  done  in  the  matter. 

The  frequency  of  divorce  among  the  Mohamme- 
dans has  caused  the  Nestorians  and  Armenians  to 
practically  forbid  it.  The  men,  however,  pay  less 
attention  to  the  laws  of  these  churches  than  do  the 
women,  and  they  very  frequently  leave  their  wives 
unprovided  for  in  Persia  and  go  to  Russia  to  find 
work,  re-marry  there,  and  remain  permanently. 
Their  poor  wives,  often  not  out  of  their  teens,  must 
spend  the  remainder  of  their  lives  as  widows.  This 
system  also   works   many  hardships,   and   is   ex- 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES        218 


tremely  severe.  One  often  sees  these  deserted 
women,  frequently  going  out  as  nurses  and  maids, 
who  might  have  had  happy  homes  of  their  own  if 
the  laws  of  their  church  had  been  less  severe  on  this 
point. 

There  is  a  class  of  men  who  go  from  the  lower 
classes  into  the  European  homes  as  servants,  and 
unfortunately  many  Westerners  sojourning  for  a 
year  or  two  get  their  ideas  of  the  Persian  people 
from  them.  They  are  shrewd,  clever  in  money  mat- 
ters, and  often  very  dishonest.  Even  if  they 
are  honest  when  they  enter  the  employ  of  the 
European,  they  are  soon  taught  by  the  other 
servants  ways  that  are  dark  and  tricks  that  lack 
much  of  being  vain.  While  there  is  no  definite 
organisation  amongst  these  servants,  there  is  an 
understanding  that  often  amounts  to  the  same  thing. 
The  servant  who  tries  to  be  honest  in  one  of  these 
large  establishments  has  a  pretty  rough  road  to 
travel.  But  it  \yould  be  just  as  fair  for  Americans 
to  be  judged  by  the  coloured  servants  in  their 
employ,  as  for  the  Persian  people  to  be  judged  by 
the  servant  class  who  drift  from  one  Legation  to 
another  and  from  one  European  home  to  another,  in 
Teheran. 

The  only  fixed  festival  in  all  the  year  in  Persia  is 
the  New  Year.  I  say  fixed,  and  yet  it  is  only  ap- 
proximately so,  as  the  New  Year  festival  is  always 
at  the  vernal  equinox.  The  other  Persian  feasts, 
being  of  a  religious  character,  are  governed  by  the 


hi' 


214    TWENTY  YEARS   IN  PERSIA 

Mohammedan  calendar,  which  is  based  upon  the 
system  of  lunar  months.  The  Persian  New  Year 
seems  to  begin  at  the  natural  time.  It  is  the  spring- 
time, the  winter  is  over,  and  it  seems  to  be  a  fitting 
time  to  begin  a  new  year.  Sometimes  there  is  a 
heavy  snow  just  then,  and  it  is  considered  a  splen- 
did omen,  the  people  saying  that  the  past  is  blotted 
out  and  they  can  begin  the  new  year  with  a  clean 
account.  It  is  the  most  im- ortant  event  of  the  year 
in  social,  business,  and  political  circles.  It  is  at  this 
time  when  notes  fall  due,  the  new  governors  are  ap- 
pointed, and  all  business  affairs  are  supposed  to  be 
settled  up.  It  is  a  sort  of  Thanksgiving,  Christmas, 
and  New  Year's  day  combined. 

To  the  poor,  this  is  the  most  important  event  of 
the  year,  and  is  about  the  only  one  that  brings  much 
joy  or  pleasure.  The  servants  must  all  receive  a 
new  suit  of  clothes  and  a  gift  of  money.  Sometimes 
it  is  stipulated  in  the  contract  that  this  gift  of  cash 
shall  equal  one  month's  salary.  The  servants  are 
v.ry  fond  of  blue,  and  on  New  Year's  morn  one 
may  see  dozens  of  these  men  in  the  streets  with  their 
bright  navy  blue  coats.  No  home  is  too  poor  to  cele- 
brate the  day  by  a  few  decorations  and  sweets.  The 
bazaars  are  of  cDurse  closed,  and  a  general  holiday 
is  observed.  In  the  better  homes  it  continues  for 
several  days  and  is  a  time  that  any  and  all  may  call 
where  they  like.-  Sometimes  there  are  fireworks 
and  huge  Chinese  lanterns.  Tbi?  celebration  is 
observed  by  the  Kurds  and  other  wild  nomadic 


THE  LOWER  CLASSES        «16 

people.  It  is  the  only  event  in  all  the  year  to  remind 
the  people  of  Zoroastrianism.  Indeed,  it  is  not  quite 
certain  that  the  Parsees  can  even  claim  this  festival 
as  a  part  of  their  history.  Be  that  as  it  may,  it  is 
now  universally  observed,  from  the  king  on  the 
throne,  who  receives  the  high  officials  of  the  gov- 
ernment, the  diplomatic  body  and  representatives 
from  the  various  commercial  guilds,  to  the  lonely 
widow  who  lives  with  her  children  in  an  upper  room 
in  the  crowded  part  of  the  city.  It  is  the  one  day  in 
all  the  year  in  Persia  when  the  hearts  of  the  people 
seem  glad,  and  sombre  colours  give  way  to  bright 
and  striking  ones,  and  even  the  lowly  rejoice. 


XIII 
MEDICAL  MISSIONS  IN  PERSIA 


1FIND  no  record  of  any  American  residing  in 
Persia  prior  to  1835.  In  the  autumn  of  that 
year,  Dr.  Grant,  an  American  physician,  with 
a  clerical  colleague,  settled  in  Uruniia.  the  former  to 
practise  among  all  classes,  and  the  latter  to  inaugu- 
rate a  system  of  schools  for  the  non-Moslem  popula- 
tion, especially  the  Nestorians,  From  that  day  to  this, 
the  American  doctor  and  teacher  have  lived  and  la- 
boured among  the  people  not  only  in  Urumia,  but 
in  most  of  the  larger  towns  in  north  Persia.  There 
are  at  present  American  medical  missions  at  Te- 
heran, Hamadan,  Kasvin,  Kermanshah.  and  Resht, 
in  east  Persia,  and  at  Tabriz  and  Urumia,  in  the 
western  province  of  Azerbijan.  There  are  twelve 
doctors,  half  of  whom  are  women,  and  one  trained 
nurse.  This  force,  with  their  native  assistants,  con- 
ducts five  hospitals,  ten  dispensaries,  and  annually 
treats  not  less  than  fifty  thousand  patients.  The 
English  missionaries  have  medical  missions  at 
Ispahan,  Yezd,  and  Kerman. 

One  cannot  remain  long  in  the  Orient  without 
becoming  profoundly  impressed  with  the  possibil- 
ities of  Occidental  medicine  as  a  potent  factor  in 

816 


MEDICAL    MISSIONS 


ai7 


raising  the  moral,  social,  and  business  life  of  the 
people.  Even  to  those  who  put  only  a  commercial 
value  upon  the  East,  the  subject  becomes  of  vital 
interest,  for  medical  work  everywhere  touches  the 
home  and  family  life  as  nothing  else  does,  and  it 
is  pretty  well  recognised  that  that  which  touches 
the  home  and  family  life  of  the  community  finds  an 
echo  in  the  life-chords  of  a  nation.  Besides,  human 
suffering,  unrelieved,  needs  medical  men  who  make 
their  profession  a  mission  as  well  as  a  career.  Some 
most  excellent  physicians  may  think  that  they  are 
not  in  sympathy  with  modern  missions,  but  their 
lives  are  not  in  accord  with  this  view,  for  the  toil- 
ing, conscientious  doctors  who  go  from  home  to 
home,  carrying  sympathy  and  cheer  to  the  family 
circle  when  the  lamp  of  hope  burns  low — the  "  Dr. 
MacLures  "  of  the  community — are  in  the  truest 
sense  medical  missionaries,  whether  duty  calls  them 
to  the  mansion  in  the  avenue  or  to  the  dark  places 
among  the  non-Christian  people  in  Asia,  where 
cholera,  plague,  pestilence,  and  famine  are  frequent 
visitors. 

A  careful  study  of  the  lives  of  David  Living- 
stone; Kerr,  who  founded  the  first  insane  hospital 
in  China;  Allen,  who  opened  up  Korea  as  a  mission- 
field  and  afterwards  became  United  States  Minister 
in  Seoul ;  Holmes,  the  trusted  friend  and  physician 
to  the  Shah  of  Persia;  Post,  professor  of  surgery 
at  Beirut.  Syria,  and  many  others,  who  have  ren- 
dered distinguished  ser\'ice,  will  show  something  of 


t  i 


218    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

till"  grtat  work  that  has  already  been  <lonc  by  mis- 
sionary doctors  practisiii},'  in  the  East.  But  it  is 
not  my  purjiose  to  tabulate  the  work  already  done; 
rather  let  nie  tell  the  reader  somcthinj,'  of  the  prac- 
tical workings  and  ixissibilities  of  a  medical  mission. 
F»)r  this  puriH)se  jK-rmit  me  to  take  the  American 
Presbyterian  Hospital  in  Teheran  as  an  example, 
for  some  medical  missions  have  had  a  much  greater 
success  and  some  far  less.  After  all,  the  work, 
whether  in  China.  India.  Egypt,  or  America,  has 
many  features  in  common.  People  are  very  much 
the  same  the  world  over  when  they  are  ill.  It  <loes 
make  a  difference,  however,  in  the  character  of  the 
work,  whether  one  is  practising  in  a  large  place 
where  there  is  a  European  colony,  or  far  out  in  the 
provinces,  where  the  people  know  nothing  of  our 
system  of  medicine,  and  are  prejudiced  against  the 
foreigner. 

Even  in  the  larger  places,  the  reed  is  tre- 
mendous; witness  Teheran,  a  city  of  three  hun- 
dred tJiousand  population,  the  capital  of  the  coun- 
try, with  street  cars,  electric  lights,  large  stores, 
banks,  telephones,  automobiles,  and  a  general  veneer 
of  w'estern  civilisation,  and  yet  with  only  about  fif- 
teen physicians  '.lolding  American  and  European  di- 
plomas. My  American  home  city  is  about  the  same 
size,  and  has,  besides  its  board  of  health  and  excel- 
lent water-supply,  nearly  six  hundred  registered  doc- 
tors! In  Teheran  there  is  not  a  metre  of  sewer- 
pipe  and  the  open  ditch  often  supplies  the  lower- 


J 

r. 


r. 
f. 


u 
H 


ifej 


MEDICAL   MISSIONS 


S19 


class  with  drinking  water.  Three  years  ago,  when 
cholera  was  carrying  off  from  three  to  four  thou- 
sand people  a  day  in  Teheran,  we  went  out  and 
removed  dozens  of  dead  and  dying  from  these 
streams.  The  thirst  of  a  cholera  patient  is  terrible, 
and  these  cool  oiien  streams  acted  as  a  magnet  for 
the  suffering.  Even  when  cholera  is  not  with  us, 
typhoid  is  necessarily  always  present.  I  mention 
this  to  show  the  great  work  yet  to  be  done  in  the 
primary  principles  of  sanitation. 

In  the  cholera  epidemics  of  both  1892  and  1904, 
the  relief  work  centred  largely  around  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  Mission  there,  the  funds  being  sup- 
plied by  the  government  and  by  private  sub- 
scriptions. We  shall  not  at*  ipt  to  picture  the 
terror  of  those  days,  when  strong  men  were 
falling  on  every  hand;  the  merchant  closing  his 
shop  in  the  evening  never  to  return;  business 
suspended;  thousands  fleeing  from  the  city  by 
caravan  and  on  foot;  leaving  the  sick  by  the 
wayside  and  the  dead  unburied.  The  Mission's 
organisation  for  the  help  of  this  terribly  visited 
city,  assisted  financially  by  the  Government,  Banks, 
Commercial  Houses,  Telegraph  Companies,  and 
private  citizens,  rendered  a  service  of  incalculable 
value  to  the  community.  In  the  epidemic  of  1904, 
our  large  hospital  on  the  east  side  of  the  city  was 
sacrificed,  being  converted  from  a  general  hospital 
into  one  for  cholera  cases;  a  house  was  taken  as  a 
refuge  hospital  on  the  west  side  of  the  city,  and 


'J  tl 


220    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


also  a  place  was  opened  in  Shiran.  These  three 
centres  of  work,  together  with  a  dispensary  in  the 
Jewish  quarter  of  the  town,  were  kept  in  operation 
day  and  night  for  nearly  a  month,  when  the  epi- 
demic ceased. 

In  carrying  forward  this  relief  work,  our  efforts 
were  directed  in  three  directions,  vie,  to  the 
prevention  and  further  spread  of  the  disease,  to 
the  care  of  hospital  cases,  and  to  visitation  in  the 
homes.  A  pamphlet,  published  in  English  and 
Persian,  entitled  "  Asiatic  Cholera :  a  Few  Neces- 
sary Precautions  and  Some  Hints  Concerning  Treat- 
ment in  Emergency  "  was  circulated  freely  through- 
out the  Teheran  bazaars  and  also  in  the  larger  cities 
of  the  country.  Very  good  reports  as  to  the  use- 
fulness of  these  printed  directions  came  to  us  from 
many  sources. 

The  patrolling  of  the  town  for  the  removal  of 
afflicted  persons  dying  in  the  street  was  the  most 
delicate  thing  undertaken  by  us,  and  brought  down 
upon  us  more  or  less  criticism  from  the  fanatical 
portion  of  the  community.  These  had  been  taught 
that  epidemics  were  dispensations  from  Allah,  and, 
do  what  we  might,  we  could  not  prevent  or  shorten 
them.  But  our  hands  were  upheld  strongly  by  the 
Governor  and  others  in  authority,  and,  when  our 
work  was  over  and  the  people  understood  that  our 
motives  were  only  humanitarian  in  character,  the 
criticism  we  heard  during  the  early  days  of  the  epi- 
demic gave  way  to  the  warmest  praise. 


MEDICAL   MISSIONS 


221 


The  first  day  that  our  hospital  was  open  for 
cholera  cases  sixty-one  patients  were  admitted, 
representing  every  stage  of  the  disease.  Two 
died  while  being  lifted  from  the  carriage  into  the 
hospital.  One  was  the  case  of  a  poor  Armenian 
woman,  whose  two  daughters  were  that  day  sud- 
denly seized  with  the  disease.  Sending  at  once  for 
a  carriage,  she  started  to  the  hospital  with  them, 
but  as  there  was  some  delay  in  getting  the  carriage, 
and  as  her  home  was  three  or  four  miles  away,  she 
met  with  considerable  delay  in  her  plans.  When 
she  arrived  at  the  hospital,  one  of  the  daughters 
was  moribund  and  died  in  the  carriage.  At  this 
she  became  panic-stricken  and  told  the  driver  to  take 
them  back  to  their  home.  They  had  gone  only 
a  few  yards  when  the  other  daughter's  death  was 
announced,  probably  from  fright,  by  the  scream  of 
the  terror-stricken  mother. 

Our  own  cook,  seeing  what  had  happened, 
ran  home  and  locked  himself  in  his  house.  The 
disease  was  even  worse  in  Shimran,  whither  thou- 
sands resorted,  hoping  that  the  cooler  regions  would 
not  become  infected.  The  writer,  with  one  of  his 
colleagues,  standing  on  the  street  corner  at  midday, 
counted  fifteen  funerals  passing  in  less  than  half 
an  hour.  Shops  and  bazaars  were  closed,  and  the 
stillness  of  death  hung  over  a  terribly-stricken  city. 
But  the  story  is  not  all  a  dark  picture  of  panic  and 
despair,  for  there  were  many  noble,  tender,  and 
heroic  acts  done  bv  the  Persians  for  their  fellow- 


Ill 


M 


i'tr 


222    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

kind.  The  Governor  of  the  city  laboured  night  and 
day,  and  finally  died  from  the  disease.  Near-by  the 
hospital  was  a  young  mother  who  took  cholera, 
and  her  husband  cared  for  her  with  great  tender- 
ness and  thought  fulness,  under  the  direction  of  one 
of  the  hospital  physicians;  but,  in  spite  of  kll  that 
was  done  for  her,  she  grew  rapidly  worse.  Finally, 
she  declined  to  take  medicine,  and  her  husband,  in 
his  extreme  anxiety  for  her  recovery,  remarking 
that  the  medicine  was  pleasant,  put  the  spoon  to  his 
own  lips  which  she  had  been  using.  In  a  few  hours, 
he  developed  the  disease,  and  in  order  to  hide  from 
his  wife  his  own  illness  he  excused  himself  by  say- 
ing that  he  must  go  to  inquire  concerning  the  wel- 
fare of  his  father's  household.  He  died  a  few 
hours  after  his  wife's  death,  without  knowing  that 
she  had  gone  on  before.  They  were  buried,  with 
their  new-born  babe,  a  few  hours  later.  Other  in- 
stances equally  pathetic  might  be  given  where  whole 
families  died  within  a  day  or  two  of  each  other. 

In  addition  to  the  work  in  the  hospitals  and  dis- 
pensaries, the  missionaries  visited  cholera  patients 
at  their  homes,  going,  when  called,  with  medicine 
and  directions  for  treatment.  As  the  funds  were 
supplied  by  popular  subscription,  no  charge  was 
made  for  treatment  by  any  one.  The  weather  was 
excessively  hot,  and  the  long  hours  made  a  severe 
test  of  the  strength  of  the  helpers,  but  none  of  the 
forty  or  more  persons  who  assisted  in  this  relief 
work  took  the  disease.      We  saw  the  accountant 


MEDICAL   MISSIONS 


2S3 


leave  his  office,  the  student  his  books,  the  mason  his 
trowel,  the  chemist  his  shop,  the  cook  his  kitchen, 
and  even  the  policeman  his  rounds,  to  volunteer  as 
members  of  the  Cholera  Relief  Corps,  During  the 
long  hot  days  and  in  the  late  watches  of  the  night, 
they  were  by  the  side  of  cholera  patients  in  homes 
and  hospitals,  giving  such  aid  and  comfort  as  was 
possible,  often  when  the  Reaper,  Death,  had  already 
marked  his  victim. 

The  cardinal  points  to  be  observed  by  the  at- 
tendant upon  cholera  patients  are  the  observance  of 
absolute  surgical  cleanliness  on  his  own  part,  and  the 
eating  only  of  freshly-cooked  food,  and  drinking 
only  boiled  water.  I  have  never  known  any  one  who 
was  careful  in  these  things  to  take  the  disease,  al- 
though I  presume  it  would  be  possible  by  other 
means.  In  any  case,  the  germs  can  enter  the  sys- 
tem only  by  the  mouth.  Notwithstanding  the  large 
number  of  moribund  cases  that  we  receive,  at  least 
forty  per  cent,  of  all  patients  in  our  hospital  re- 
cover, and  if  one  takes  only  the  cases  that  did  not 
arrive  in  this  condition,  one  can  safely  put  the  per- 
centage of  recoveries  at  about  seventy.  During  the 
month,  more  than  four  thousand  patients  were 
treated  in  the  hospital  dispensaries,  and  at  their 
homes.  The  committee  received  from  the  com- 
munity $5,549.10  and  disbursed  it  all  but  $496.02, 
this  balance  being  distributed  amongst  the  various 
charities  of  the  city,  in  compliance  with  our  own 
wish  that  no  American  or  American  institution 


''V 
I 


I 


224 


TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


should  reap  any  pecuniary  benefit  from  their  la- 
bours. As  has  been  already  stated,  the  service  was 
a  gratuitous  one.  the  only  item  of  expense  charged 
by  our  Mission  was  the  amount  expended  in  clean- 
ing and  disinfecting  the  hospital  after  the  epidemic 
had  disappeared. 

The  better  homes  in  Persia  are  in  large  gardens, 
surrounded  by  high  mud  walls.  There  is  nothing 
attractive  about  the  architecture  of  the  houses,  but 
some  of  the  gardens  are  beautiful.  Our  medical 
plant  is  in  one  of  these  gardens  in  the  suburbs  of 
the  city,  and  consists  of  an  hospital,  a  dispensary, 
and  a  home  for  those  in  charge.  The  buildings  are 
all  plain,  but  well-adapted  for  the  purpose  for 
which  they  are  intended.  The  hospital  has  forty 
beds,  and  was  in  a  large  measure  built  by  money 
contributed  on  the  field,  mostly  by  Mohammedans. 
The  people  have  laboured  with  us  in  a  most  en- 
couraging manner,  almost  from  the  establishment 
of  the  work.  Connected  with  the  hospital  is  a  well- 
built  dispensary  of  eight  rooms,  where,  last  year, 
twenty    thousand    consultations    were    given    the 

sick. 

This  branch  of  the  work  is  more  than  self-sup- 
porting, it  being  our  plan  to  charge  those  able  to  pay. 
The  surplus  goes  toward  the  support  of  the  needy 
ones  in  the  hospital.  Many  of  our  patients  are.  of 
course,  often  too  poor  to  pay  an>'thing.  and  our 
workers  not  infrequently  take  the  patients  around 
to  the  kitchen  and  give  them  a  good  meal  instead 


Tin;  r.w  ii.iD.v  I  OR  \v().\ii:.\. 

AiiKTRaii   llospit.il,   'I'l  Ill-ran. 


Tin:    AMIKK    \\     I'KKSIiVTKKI.W     IK  )SI'IT.\I..    Till  KKAN. 
rin  Sll  I.WS    KKSIDKNLK. 


MEDICAL   MISSIONS 


286 


of  medicine.  All  kinds  of  surgical  cases  are  under- 
taken, and  the  institution  is  well-equipped  with 
dark  rooms,  operating  rooms,  instruments,  and 
drugs.  The  large  amount  of  eye-work  alone  done 
would  justify  the  expenditure  of  time  and  strength. 
Not  less  than  two  thousand  eyes  have  been  saved 
or  cured  by  operation  that  otherwise  would  have 
been  doomed  to  blindness.  I  recall  a  native  doctor 
from  the  vicinity  of  Hamadan  who  came  to  us,  be- 
ing led  by  his  little  boy,  and  who  introduced  him- 
self by  these  words:  "For  the  sake  of  God  do 
something  to  restore  my  sight,  for  although  my 
son  leads  me  by  the  hand,  yet  for  two  years  I  have 
not  seen  his  face."  I  am  glad  to  say  that  an  opera- 
tion for  cataract  made  it  possible  for  him  not  only 
to  look  upon  the  face  of  his  son,  but  to  take  up  his 
medical  practice  again  and  becfcme  the  support  of 
his  family. 

A  little  boy  came  to  us  once  requiring  a  surgical 
operation  which  was  made  with  a  good  degree  of 
success.  One  hot  day  in  the  late  spring,  upon  go- 
ing into  the  ward  of  the  hospital,  I  was  told  that 
the  little  boy  wished  to  speak  to  me.  Going 
over  to  his  bed,  I  asked  him  what  he  wanted.  In 
reply,  he  told  me  of  a  neighbour  boy,  a  shepherd, 
the  only  son  of  a  widow  who  was  dependent  upon 
this  boy  for  support.  He  said  that,  owing  to  his 
deficient  sight,  the  flocks  wandered  away  from  him 
and  were  lost  on  the  mountains.  He  closed  his  little 
speech  by  asking  me  if  we  could  cure  him.    I  told 


286    TWENTY  YEARS  IN  PERSIA 

him  tc  bring  the  boy  and  let  us  see  him,  at  the 
same  time  giving  him  a  card  of  admittance  when- 
ever he  chose  to  come.    The  boy  in  due  time  left 
the  hospital  and  the  matter  passed  out  of  my  mind. 
Some  weeks  afterwards,  I  was.  upon  entering  the 
grounds,  met  by  two  foot-sore  travellers.    One  ran 
to  me  and  asked   if   I  did   not   remember  him, 
whereupon  I  was  forced  to  confess  that  I  did  not. 
He  then  showed  me  the  card  of  admittance  that  I 
had  given  him  and  I  remembered  him.     He  then 
told  me  how,  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  walk,  he  had 
left  the  hospital,  and  had  gone  to  seek  his  almost 
blind  friend,  trying  to  care  for  the  flocks  on  the 
mountain  in  order  to  assist  with  the  meagre  sup- 
port required  by  his  mother.     For  sixty  miles  up 
the  hot.  dusty  road  this  boy  had  trudged,  foot-sore 
and  weak  from  his  operation  at  the  hospital.    Find- 
ing the  lad,  he  had  taken  him  by  the  hand  and  all 
down  that  long  winding  road  of  sixty  miles  he 
had  tenderly  and  affectionately  cared  for  him,  shar- 
ing his  crust  of  bread,  which  he  carried  tied  up  in 
a  handkerchief.    It  is  needless  for  me  here  to  state 
that  the  boy  was  t?ken  into  the  hospital  at  once, 
aiKl  I  am  happy  to  say  the  operation  was  success- 
fully done.    There  are  a  good  many  of  these  cases 
of  soft  cataract  in  children,  and  as  the  operation 
nearly  always  is  a  simple  one,  the  results  are  usually 
very  satisfactory.    Of  course,  without  surgical  in- 
terference the  child  is  doomed  to  a  life  of  darkness, 
which  often  means  that  they  are  cast  out  to  become 


MEDICAL   MISSIONS 


«87 


beggars  ir  the  streets.  Sometimes  patients  refuse 
amputations  because  there  is  no  employment  open 
to  these  cripples,  A  servant  of  one  of  my  English 
friends  in  Yezd  was  once  thrown  from  a  waggon 
and  his  knee  so  injured  that  he  had  to  decide  be- 
tween an  amputation  and  death.  He  cho.se  the  lat- 
ter, remarking  that  he  would  rather  risk  the  future 
than  take  the  certainty,  as  he  thought,  of  becoming 
helpless,  notwithstanding  the  assurance  of  his  mas- 
ter that  he  would  be  taken  care  of  He  died  a  few 
days  later.  But  these  cases  are  rare,  and  I  have 
always  found  the  people  reasonable  and  willing  to 
undergo  any  sort  of  treatment,  especially  if  an  anes- 
thetic was  used. 

Many  of  the  native  lines  of  treatment  are 
very  cruel.  I  have  only  to  name  that  of  the 
remedy  for  a  kind  of  sore-head  which  is  found  all 
through  the  East.  By  proper  treatment,  with  some 
appropriate  and  simple  remedies,  these  cases  soon 
get  well.  The  native  people  often  employ  as  a 
remedy  a  cap  made  from  a  sort  of  pitch  and  plaster- 
of- Paris.  This  is  put  on  and  allowed  to  dry  on 
the  head  and  usually  is  worn  for  several  weeks,  the 
purpose  accomplished  being  the  thorough  disinfection 
of  the  scalp,  tluis  killing  the  germ.  Up  to  this  point 
in  the  treatment  there  is  no  pain,  but  the  removal 
of  this  cap  through  which  the  hair  has  become 
firmly  matted,  is  one  of  the  most  painful  tortures 
which  can  be  inflicted  upon  a  helpless  child.  With 
the  removal  of  the  cap  conies  most  of  the  hair,  and 


u 


I       J 


nt 


828    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

not  a  little  of  the  scalp.  The  screams  of  the  child 
when  this  cap  is  removed  may  often  be  heard  for 
several  blocks.  The  fact  that  it  is  nearly  always 
successful  makes  it  popular  among  the  poorer 
classes. 

The  Bagdad  or  Aleppo  button,  called  in  Persia 
solak,  because  it  requires  nearly  a  year, ».  e.,  eleven 
months,  to  heal  without  treatment,  is  commonly 
seen.  It  comes  as  a  sore,  usually  single,  although 
they  are  sometin%es  multiple,  without  pain,  the  size 
being  from  a  split  pea  to  that  of  a  quarter  of  a 
dollar.  If  the  sore  appears  upon  the  face,  as  it 
often  does,  it  becomes  very  unsightly.  We  often 
see  the  end  of  the  nose  taken  off  by  it,  or  the  eye- 
lid greatly  disfigured.  By  proper  treatment,  how- 
ever, the  sore  usually  heals  kindly  within  a  few 
weeks.  There  are  no  constitutional  symptoms.  It 
never  comes  from  water  or  food,  as  was  once 
thought.  In  Bagdad  it  was  once  considered  a  dis- 
ease of  the  date-eater.  It  has  been  clearly  lown 
that  the  contagion  must  come  from  the  outside,  and 
that  the  germs  are  carried  largely  by  the  fly  and 
mosquito.  It  is  especially  common  in  Teheran, 
among  those  who  remain  all  the  summer  in  town, 
where  the  mosquitoes  and  sandflies  are  always 
prevalent. 

The  surgeon  in  Persia  has  some  things  to  con- 
tend with  of  which  the  American  or  European 
surgeon  knows  nothing.  A  ten-year-old  boy  was  to 
be  operated  upon,  and  as  the  operation  was  not  only 


MKDICAL    MISSIONS 


2«9 


delicate,  but  one  endangering  life,  every  precaution 
had  bctii  taker,  against  sepsis.  The  sheets  had  been 
thoroughly  sterilised  and  the  bedding  was  new. 
The  boy  stood  the  operation  nicely,  and  when  the 
surgeon  saw  him  the  next  day  all  socmed  to  be 
going  well.  The  doctor,  putting  his  hand  on  the 
bed,  felt  something  move  under  the  cover.  Rai"-'  'v' 
the  blanket,  out  jumped  a  pet  duck  and  ran  ''cim!  ■ 
the  floor  crying,  quack!  quack!  As  the  wri.:  foi 
charlatan  in  Persian  is  not  the  same  as  in  ]■'.  i^ii.M, 
the  surgeon  did  not  feel  that  there  was  ''linj 
personal  in  the  remark  of  this  Persian  ('.ul..  '1u 
mother,  who  was  nursing  the  child,  ;  i>m  I  itj, 
asked  why  she  had  iK'rmitted  such  a  thing  'ep!  .'(l. 
with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulder,  that  the  boy'c  hearr 
wanted  it ! 

We  have  a  good  many  patients  among  the  pu- 
grims  who  pass  through  Teheran  on  their  way  to 
Meshed,  Kuni.  and  Kerbela.  These  long,  tedious, 
and  tiresome  journeys  are  very  trying,  even  to  the 
most  hardened.  EHiring  the  summer  season  many 
fall  ill  and  find  their  way  into  the  hosi'ital.  After 
recovery,  they  continue  their  journey  and  fre- 
quently send  us  others.  Upon  their  return  home  to 
their  village  or  town  they  tell  what  was  done  for 
them  in  the  hospital,  and  it  is  an  Oriental  char- 
acteristic to  enlarge  and  magnify,  their  politeness 
forbidding  them  to  speak  of  the  disagreeable.  So 
in  tea-houses,  and  in  little  groups,  the  story  of  their 
journeyings  is  told  and  in  this  mention  is  made  of 


230    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


the  "  New  World  Hospital."  In  this  way,  patients 
are  sent  to  us  from  many  miles  around. 

The  American  medical  mission  work  throughout 
Persia  has  had  the  cordial  support  of  Europeans 
residing  in  that  land.  Some  years  ago  a  concert 
was  given  under  the  auspices  of  the  United  States 
Minister  in  Teheran,  the  benefits  going  to  this 
work.  The  whole  colony  responded  most  cordially, 
and  the  following  evening,  at  the  command  of  His 
Imperial  Majesty,  the  concert  was  repeated  at  the 
Palace,  the  Shah  being  present,  and  he  afterwards 
sent  a  liberal  contribution  for  the  work.  As  those 
who  had  assisted  in  the  programme  represented  both 
the  Protestant  and  the  Catholic  portions  of  the  col- 
ony, the  gift  of  the  king  was  divided  equally  between 
the  two  missions.  Soon  after  this,  upon  the  invita- 
tion of  American  Minister  Hardy,  most  of  the  Min- 
isters of  the  Persian  government  paid  an  official 
visit  of  inspection  to  the  hospital.  Among  the 
Ministers  was  th?  late  Attabeg.  who  was  assassi- 
nated at  the  door  of  the  National  Assembly  in  Sep- 
tember, 1907. 

The  newspapers  in  Teheran  have  always  been 
friendly  to  this  work,  and  after  the  cholera  experi- 
ences long  articles  commending  the  hospital  to  all 
classes  in  and  about  the  Capital  appeared.  Although 
those  in  charge  of  this  work  had  no  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  these  newspaper  editors,  very  fre- 
quently, after  some  surgical  operation  ujK)n  some 
well-known    citizen,    there    would    appear    articles 


MEDICAL    MISSIONS 


S31 


strongly  commendatory  of  tlie  medical  work,  the 
following  being  a  sample.  "  His  exalted  Ex- 
cellency Hadji ,  the  number  of  whose 

services  and  self-sacrifices  for  the  nation  are 
more  evident  than  the  sun,  who  in  truth  could 
be  counted  one  of  the  pillars  of  the  constitutional 
government  and  a  saviour  of  the  nation  from  the 
bonds  of  helplessness  and  slavery,  was  compelled 
to  go  to  an  hospital  for  the  treatment  of  his  eyes, 
because  of  an  attack  of  cataract,  through  which  his 
truth-perceiving  eyes  were  for  a  time  deprived  of 
beholding  the  good  things  of  this  world.  In  the 
early    part    of    last    Ramazan    he    went    to    the 

American   Hospital  ,  where   the   surgeons 

rendered  a  service  beyond  measure  to  that  Honour- 
able Existence ,  and,  praise  God.  the  oper- 
ation was  successful  and  the  one  eye  operated  uiK)n. 
of  His  Greatness,  to-day  sees  well  and  reads,  and 
Inshallah,  the  other  eye  also  at  a  convenient  time 
will  be  operated  upon,  and  he  will  find  complete 
deliverance  from  this  affliction.  May  the  Lord  be- 
stow a  glorious  rev.-ard  ujwn  these  possessors  of 
goodness,  and  those  who  are  the  upbuildcrs  of 
goo<l  things  which  remain  after  they  have  passed 
away." 

The  same  article  speaks  of  the  cordial  support 
given  the  hospital  by  t'.e  late  Emin-ed-Dovlch,  who, 
from  the  beginning  of  the  history  of  the  institution 
until  his  death,  was  a  warm  supiM)rtcr:  since  tlicn 
the  same  altitude  lias  been  sustained  by  his  family, 


232     TWENTY   YEARS    IN    PERSIA 

who  contributed   funds   for  the  first   hospital  or 
pavilion  for  women  in  the  Capital. 

In  connection  with  the  hospital  we  have  a  medi- 
cal training-school,  and  these  students,  when  pre- 
pared, go  out  into  the  provinces  to  carry  forward 
this  same  sort  of  work.  In  this  way,  the  work 
perpetuates  itself,  without  expense  or  burden  to 
any  one. 

The  dispensary  is  open  every  morning  except 
Sunday  from  nine  o'clock  until  the  last  patient  is 
seen,  wliich  may  be  late  in  the  day.     When  the 
weatlier  is  good,  there  may  be  more  than  a  hundred 
patients  to  see  in  a  single  day,  besides  the  surgical 
work.     It  is  an  odd.  but   fascinating,  crowd  that 
greets  one,  morning  after  morning.      Some  have 
come  in  beautiful  rul)ber-lired  carriages,  some  on 
wiieels.  some  on  donkeys,  some  on  camels,  but  most 
•  )f  all  on  fo(.t.     The  costumes  are  as  varied  as  it 
is  |K)Ssible  for  thtm  to  be,  but  it  is  not  these  things 
that  interest  the  workers  most,  it  is  how  they  are 
to  meet  the  almost  sui)erhuman  demands  of  igno- 
rance and  credulity.   V^r  example,  with  the  Moham- 
medan, Allah  is  taken  into  every  plan  with  a  fatal- 
ism that  is  not  to  be  questioned.    If  any  one  sneezes 
during  a  consultation  nothing  more  can  be  dtine,  for 
it  is  a  direct  warning  from  .Allah  that  something 
is  wrong.     I  saw  a  man  once  with  an  acute  attack 
of  apiiendicitis,  who  refused  treatment  until  he  cast 
the  die  to  see  if  the  stars  were  in  the  proix-r  jKisi- 
tion  for  surgical  work.    Sometimes  it  is  a  man  who 


MEDICAL    MISSIONS 


233 


knows  a  little  English  and  wishes  to  use  it.  One 
of  these  is  a  little  fat  man  who  used  to  come  fre- 
quently to  see  us,  0;:e  day  he  came  in  with  a 
pompous  air  and  asked  for  some  vaccine  with  which 
to  "graft"  his  child!  Not  infrequently  a  leper 
or  a  case  of  smalliK)x  walks  in  upon  us.  When  we 
ask  them  to  leave  the  room  they  smile  and  ask  if 
we  do  not  believe  that  Allah  is  over  all.  Then 
there  is  a  young  woman  who  is  violently  insane, 
and  tears  herself,  and  cries  out  with  that  fear  which 
is  often  present  when  reason  is  dethroned.  She  is 
sht  nned,  because  the  superstitious  say  she  has  an 
evil  spirit,  but  the  truth  is  that  in  the  Orient  there 
are  few  obstetricians,  and  this  woman  has  been 
neglected.  There  are  no  insane  hospitals  in  Persia, 
and  these  helpless  ones  are  often  turned  into  the 
streets.  There  were  no  hospitals  in  Persia  until 
they  were  founded  by  the  missionariis. 

Sombre  as  is  the  picture  of  physical  suffering,  it  is 
nothing  compared  to  the  midnight  darkness  of  moral 
degradation  that  is  back  of  it  all.  But  here  it  is 
safer  to  draw  the  curtain.  lie  who  sees  no  good 
in  missions  has  never  seen  behind  the  curtain.  One 
finds  it  hard  to  fancy  the  man  who  could  face  the 
needy  crowd  that  daily  frequents  these  clinics  with- 
out some  feeling  of  pity  for  them,  some  desire  to 
help  them,  a  feeling  away  down  deep  in  the  heart 
that  medical  missions  have  a  large  part  in  the  White 
Man's  burden. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  doctor  to  dcnation- 


834    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

alise  any  one  out  there  unless  a  Christian,  medical- 
social  settlement  can  be  said  to  denationalise  them. 
It  is  a  matter  of  greatest  indifference  to  us  what  kind 
of  clothing  they  wear,  so  that  it  is  clean;  or  what 
kind  of  food  they  eat,  so  long  as  they  boil  the 
water;  or  whether  they  have  a  government  with  or 
without  a  parliament.  All  these,  and  a  thousand 
other  questions,  they  will  settle  if  we  can  be  patient 
and  extend  to  them  the  Golden  Rule,  just  as  Japan 
has  settled  them. 

If  the  medical  mission  idea  needed  any  outside 
endorsement  it  could  wish  for  no  better  than  the 
fact  that  governments  are  taking  it  up.  Recently, 
b(nh  the  German  and  the  Russian  governments 
have  opened  free  general  hospitals  in  Teheran. 
The  English  govetaiment  has  had,  for  nearly  a 
century  past,  medical  officers  with  free  dispensaries 
throughout  the  south  of  Persia.  And  it  can  well 
be  remarked  that  these  medical  officers  have  ren- 
dered a  service  of  incalculable  value  to  all  classes, 
although,  without  hospitals,  their  work  has  been 
necessarily  handicapped. 

The  great  work  of  bringing  the  East  to  know 
the  West  has  just  begun,  and  governments,  com- 
mercial enterprises,  and  institutions  of  all  kinds, 
standing  on  the  brink  of  the  unknown  Orient,  and 
feeling  that  there  are  vast  possibilities  for  them 
if  only  they  can  safely  enter,  naturally  turn  to  the 
medical  profession  to  take  the  lead,  just  as  the  vari- 
ous Missionary  Societies  have  done.     In  return  for 


MEDICAL    MISSIONS 


235 


this  service,  the  Orient  will  greatly  enrich  the  Oc- 
cident, and  no  profession  will  profit  more  than  that 
of  medicine.  Already  not  a  few  English  and  Euro- 
pean physicians  are  finding  that  an  unusual  post- 
graduate course  may  be  found  in  the  East,  where 
there  is  always  an  abundance  of  the  rarest  clinical 
material.  Especially  it  is  true  of  tropical  disorders, 
diseases  of  the  eye,  skin  diseases,  and  in  general 
surgery.  Students  now  in  the  medical  colleges  will 
see  the  day  when  .American  physicians  in  consider- 
able numbers  will  go  to  Japan  for  post-graduate 
W(jrk,  wiiile  an  Englishman  will  hardly  think  his 
medical  work  complete  without  a  year  in  India. 
On  the  Ganges  and  in  the  Punjab,  and  not  on  the 
Thames,  will  be  found  the  time,  and  especially  the 
clinical  material,  for  the  experimental  work  neces- 
sary for  revealing  the  many  hidden  things  in  n.edi- 
cine  which  n.nst  lje  brought  to  light  to  make  it  an 
exact  science.  Tiiis  opinion  may  seem  to  some  ex- 
treiTie.  but  the  view  is  supi^rted  by  many  who  have 
knowledge  of  the  East. 


XIY 

AMERICAN  MISSIONS  AND  SOCIAL 
REFORMS  IN  PERSIA 

NOTHIXCi  American  in  Persia  has  the  dol- 
lar mark  upon  it,  for  practically  all  the 
interests  tiiat  we  have  there  to-day  are  in 
sonic  way  connected  with  philaiithroi)y.  Whether 
such  interests  are  as  much  value  to  us  as  a  nation  as 
those  of  commerce,  is  not  for  me  to  discuss  here. 
Many  people  find  it  hard  to  jjfet  away  from  measur- 
ing everything;  hy  some  political,  financial,  or  social 
standard.  This  view  is  in  a  larg^e  measure  an  Occi- 
dental one,  for  whatever  the  judfjment  of  Amer- 
icans may  be  concerning  tlie  wisdom  of  sending 
money  and  men  to  the  needy  nations  in  Asia  with 
which  to  estal)lish  schools  and  hospitals,  the  fact  re- 
mains. I  tiiink.  that  the  Persians  have  appreciated 
the  efforts  that  have  been  matle  for  their  people 
thnnigii  the  American  Missions.  In  discussing  a 
(jucstion  of  this  character,  it  is  necessary  to  differen- 
tiate between  the  benevolent  purposes  of  a  board  or 
swiety  undertaking  such  work,  and  the  worker  to 
whom  t!ie  work  has  been  entrusted.  Rut  in  the 
niiiids  of  many  I  have  found  that  missions  simply 
mean  some  rnissionary  whom  they  have  known.    If 


AMERICAN    MISSIONS        «37 

he  happens  to  be  a  man  or  woman  who  has  pre- 
sented to  them  an  attractive  and  pleasing  per- 
sonality.  they  have  no  trouble  in  falling  in  with  his 
purposes  and  ideas,  perhaps  I  should  say  his  en- 
thusiasm; but.  on  the  contrary,  if  he  happens  to  lack 
these  desirable  qualities,  the  resuh  is  the  reverse. 

This  entire  volume,  instead  of  but  one  chapter, 
might  be  taken  up  wiiii  the  narrative  of  the  found- 
mg  and  establishmem   of  the  various  benevolent 
mmistries  of  American  missionaries  in  Persia  dur- 
ing the  last  sixty  years;  and  I  think,  if  this  narra- 
tne  were  closely  followed,  that  the  reader  would 
be  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  the  results  have 
abund.nntly  justified  these  efforts ;  that  these  mis- 
sions have  made  for  themselves  a  place  of  great  use- 
fulness among  a  needy  people,  and  that  they  have  a 
right  to  exist ;  and.  further,  that  they  are  a  testi- 
mony to  the  efficiency  and  personal  character  of  the 
missionary  force,  as  well  as  to  the  generosity  of  the 
American  people.    This  view  is  supported  by  no  less 
an  authority  than  Sir  Mortimer  Durand.  for  some 
years  the  Dritish  Minister  in  Teheran,  and  after- 
wards  his   country's   ambassador   at    Washington, 
'vho  said  in  a  public  address  at  Nashville.   Ten- 
nessee:    "If  I  were  ever  .igain  administrator  or 
diplomatist    in   a   non-Christian   country.    I   would 
from  a  purely  business  point  of  view,  as  a  govern- 
ment official,  far  sooner  have  them   [the  mission- 
aries] than  not  have  them  within  the  limits  of  mv 
charge."  ^ 


238    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


One  of  the  first  tliinjjs  the  missionaries  did  was 
to  establish  a  system  of  schools.  To  be  sure,  the 
beginning  was  very  small  and  the  outlook  dark,  but 
Persia  is  no  place  for  the  man  who  has  not  a  broad 
horizon,  esjiecially  in  these  social  questions.  The 
school  being  in  L'runiia.  and  intended  only  for  non- 
Muslcnis,  the  only  available  room  that  could  be 
fouiul  was  in  a  cellar.  But  the  teacher  and  head  of 
that  scli(X)l  saw  in  the  horizon  a  college  for  Urumia, 
splendid  high  schools  for  Tabriz,  Teheran,  Hama- 
dan,  Resht,  and  other  points,  to  say  nothing  of 
village  and  primary  schools  throughout  the  rqjion 
in  wliicli  he  had  settled.  The  letters  and  writings  of 
tiie  Kev.  Dr.  F'erkins,  the  founder  of  Urumia  Col- 
lege, clearly  indicate  that  he  believed  that  Persia  had 
a  chance  of  regeneration,  but  that  little  could  be 
done  until  the  people  were  educated.  Were  he  to  re- 
turn and  see  the  growth  of  his  idea,  he  ought  to  be 
more  than  satisfied.  For  many  years  the  college  at 
Urumia  has  been  the  inspiring  agency  and  hope  of 
the  Nestorian  people.  Nothing  since  the  destnic- 
tion  of  Xisibis  has  been  undertaken  for  this  ancient 
people  so  potential  as  this  little  school  begun  in  a 
cellar.  It  has  raised  hundreds  of  Nestorian  families 
from  a  condition  of  serfdom  to  respectable  citizen- 
ship. It  has  turned  out  scores  of  teachers  and 
preachers,  and  some  doctors,  the  very  men  the 
country  needed.  It  lias  taught  the  value  of  truth, 
honesty,  personal  purity,  and  the  evils  of  the  wine- 
sliop,  which  in  that  country  stands  on  a  par  with 


AMERICAN    MISSIONS 


239 


llie  "  barrel  "-house  in  America.    Other  non-Moslem 
connnuiiitics,  hearing  and  seeing  what  was  being 
(i«)ne  in  Uruniia  by  these  schools,  solicited  them  also 
for  their  children.     So  W(jrk  was  instituted  for  the 
Armenians  at  Tabriz  and  Teheran,  and  for  the  Jews 
and   Armenians  at   Ilamadan.     Later,  missionary 
work  has  begun  at   Resht,  Kasvin,  and  Kerman- 
shah.     Besides  these  High  Schools,  there  are  nu- 
merous village  scliools,  especially  in  west  Persia  and 
in  the  Kurdish  mountains,  that  are  taught  by  teach- 
ers trained  by  the  mission.    Since  the  inauguration 
of  popidar  government  there  has  l)cen  a  wave  of 
ctithusiasm  in  educational  matters  that  has  swept 
over  the  country.    This  desire  for  schools  is  based 
ui)on  the  l)elief  that  the  future  has  many  places  open 
for  thoHc  prepared  to  fill  them.    In  a  land  where  only 
alxnit  six  per  cent,  of  the  ma'e  population  can  read 
and  wriie  tlie  great  need  for  schools  becomes  ap- 
parent.   The  result  lias  been  that  the  Mohammedans 
have  come  forward  in  such  number'^  and  asked  that 
they,  too,  \)c  admitted  into  these  schools,  that  in  sev- 
eral  places  they  outnumber  the   non-Moslem   stu- 
dent.s.     In  all  these  .schools  no  dis.inction  is  shown 
any  class,  clan,  or  religious  sects,  for  the  mission 
school  is  intended  to  help,  educate,  and  train  stu- 
<lents  without  regard  to  class,  religion,  or  previous 
condition. 

In  all  these  schmls  tuition  is  charged,  and  the 
work  is  made  as  nearly  self-supporting  as  possible. 
This  brings  a  higher  grade  of  students,  and  the  stu- 


MICROCOPY   RESOIUTION   TEST  CHAUT 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No   2) 


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C-S  Rochesler,    Ne*    rork        U609       uSA 

^^  ''''6)   *82  -  0300  -  Phone 

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«40    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

dent  body  in  Teheran,  Tabriz,  and  Hamadan  con- 
tains a  strong  Mohammedan  contingent  that  must 
necessarily  have  great  influence  in  affairs  in  the 
future.    Among  the  students  in  the  school  at  Hama- 
dan have  been  those  who  are  now  the  leading  doc- 
tors among  the  Armenians  and  Jews  there.     In  a 
land  saturated  with  race-prejudice  and  hatred,  who 
can  measure  the  good  that  is  to  come  from  the 
association  of  all  classes  in  these  schools?     We 
know  in  America  that  the  greatest  support  that 
popular  government  has  is  the  public  school  system, 
and  there  is  no  reason  to  think  that  the  influence  of 
the  mingling  of  all  classes  in  Persia  will  be  less 
beneficent.    There  is  no  place  quite  so  good  to  teach 
justice,  equity,  and  honesty,  the  three  pillars  of  good 
government,    as    in    these    schools    conducted    on 
popular  lines.    Contrast  these  schools,  teaching  all 
the    languages,    mathematics,     bookkeeping,     the 
mighty  truths  of  the  Bible,  with  the  little  medrassehs 
that  one  sees  in  an  open  room  in  the  street,  where 
the  pupils  study  aloud,  and  are  graduated  at  the  age 
of  ten,  and  you  will  realise  the  mighty  work  being 
done  by  them.    It  is  the  hope  of  the  Mission  that, 
at  least  in  Teheran,  another  Christian  college  may 
be  established. 

Because  of  the  sec'usion  of  women,  the  pi  ogress 
of  the  education  of  girls  has  not  been  so  pro- 
nounced, although  it  is  none  the  less  real.  The  same 
wise  judgment  that  established  the  school  in  Urumia 
for  boys  also  started  one  for  girls,  and  since  that 


AMERICAN    MISSIONS 


241 


day  Fiske  Seminary  has  continued  to  turn  out  those 
who  were  to  make  the  homes  and  to  be  the  mothers 
of  the  leaders  of  the  Nestorian  people.  Again,  at 
the  points  where  there  arc  schools  for  boys,  have 
been  established  separate  schools  for  girls,  the  one 
in  Teheran  doing  almost  college  work. 

These  missionary  schools  for  girls  in  Persia  are 
far  more  than  their  names  imply,  for  they  are  in  fact 
Christian  social  settlements.  Were  a  volume  writ- 
ten on  them,  it  would  not  contain  the  story  of  these 
lamps  set  on  a  hill.  Like  the  school  for  boys,  they 
are  open  to  all  classes,  and  the  teachers  are  brought 
into  close  contact  with  the  mothers  of  many  of  their 
pupils.  Often,  early  in  the  morning,  before  it  Ig 
fully  light,  these  women  may  be  seen  returning 
from  a  visit  to  some  humble  home,  where  during 
the  night  the  Angel  of  Death  has  claimed  some  dear 
one.  Known,  trusted  by  whole  communities,  these 
women  are  carrying  forward,  in  the  truest  sense, 
the  social  settlement  idea.  We  may  stop  here  long 
enough  to  inquire  what  the  ordinary  would-be  critic 
of  missions  knows  about  these  self-sacrificing 
labours.  If  they  were  familiar  with  them  as  a 
layman  and  a  doctor,  I  feel  confident  in  expressing 
the  judgment  that  they  would  appreciate  them. 
More  than  one  mother,  too  poor  to  pay  for  doctors, 
too  poor  to  think  of  securing  a  nurse,  ill  and 
neglected,  has  spoken  to  the  writer,  in  his  capacity 
as  a  physician,  of  their  generous  help.  Many  of  the 
native  homes  are  frightfully  barren  of  all  that  we 


242    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

think  goes  to  make  up  a  home.  Indeed,  there  is  no 
word  for  home  in  the  Persian  language,  as  we 
understand  the  term. 

Lack  of  knowledge  of  ordinary  rules  of  health  ac- 
counts for  a  mighty  death-roll  among  children.    I 
have  seen  children,  less  than  six  months  old,  bathed 
in  ditches  at  the  side  of  the  road  when  the  thermom- 
eter was  below  the  freezing  point.    The  evil-eye  is 
accepted  as  the  cause  of  hundreds  of  deaths  that  can 
be  traced  directly  to  the  ignorance  and  superstition 
of  mothers,  and  I  might  say  grandmothers,  for  their 
influence  seems  to  be  always  paramount  in  a  Persian 
household.     As  one  rides  about  the  country,  one 
may  see  skulls  of  all  kinds  of  domestic  animals 
stuck  on  the  ends  of  sticks  to  keep  off  the  evil-eye. 
If  a  mother  is  told  that  her  child  is  beautiful,  she 
immediately  begins  to  prepare  its  burial  clothes,  for 
such  a  remark  is  certain,  in  her  mind,  to  be  visited 
by  dire  repults,  for  it  always  brings  the  evil-eye, 
whatever  that  means.    Infanticide  is  not  very  com- 
mon,  because  of   the  love   of   the   Persians    for 
children,  but  it  does  happen  not  infrequently  when 
the  baby  is  a  girl.     Children  are  used  to  assist  in 
begging  by  the  roadside  and  are  exposed  to  all 
kinds   of   weather.    During   the   summer   season, 
when  thousands  are  passing  daily  on  the  Shimran 
road,  one  may  see  dozens  of  these  unfortunate 
children  with  a  beggar  woman,   not  always  the 
child's    mother,    asking    alms    of    the   passers-by. 
Even  in  the  coldest  weather,  these  children  may  be 


AMERICAN    MISSIONS         2i3 

found  by  the  roadside,  usually  crouching  under  the 
skirts  of  the  women  who  are  using  them  to  gain 
money.  During  the  winter,  certain  sunny  streets  in 
Telieran  having  high  walls,  which  protect  these  un- 
fortunates from  the  piercing  north  winds,  are  lined 
with  beggars.  When  it  is  announced  that  the  Shah 
is  to  pass  through  certain  streets,  droves  of  these 
poor  people  patiently  await  his  coming  for  hours, 
hoping  for  a  small  present  of  money.  The  fact  that 
they  are  not  often  disappointed  perpetuates  this  cus- 
tom. The  sad  part  of  it  all  is  the  suffering  of  these 
little  children. 

Charms  are  sold  openly  in  the  streets  and  markets 
to  ward  off  the  evil-eye  and  bring  good  luck  to  their 
possessors.    Many  of  them  contaih  prayers  and  pas- 
sages from  the  Koran  that  are  believed  to  be  of 
special  value  in  protecting  the  owner.    During  the 
epidemics  of  cholera  these  venders  of  superstition 
make  enormous  sums  of  money.     Mothers  with 
children  who  have  became  ill  from  taking  spoiled 
food,  or  water  from  the  ditch  by  the  roadside,  pro- 
ducing severe  stomach  disturbances,  are  made  to 
believe  that  the  child  has  a  loose  bone  in  its  throat— 
a  sort  of  crude  osteopathy.    On  one  occasion,  the 
maid  in  our  household,  who  had  a  litile  daughter 
was  told  that  her  child  had  such  a  condition,  and  all 
our  efforts  to  convince  her  that  the  child's  throat 
was  perfectly  well  availed  nothing.     She  went  to 
one  of  these  bone  extractors,  paid  him  half  her 
month's  salary,  wlio  in  much  less  time  than  it  takes 


f 


244    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

to  tell  it,  extracted  the  bone — from  his  sleeve!  She 
returned  home  in  high  glee,  having  the  bone  as  evi- 
dence, and  a  firm  faith  that  the  child  would  have 
died  had  she  not  had  her  case  attended  to.  These 
men  are  very  dexterous,  and  are  able  to  deceive 
sharper  eyes  than  this  old  woman's.  Let  no  one 
think  that  these  things  are  confined  to  the  lower 
classes,  for  they  permeate  every  class  of  society. 
The  number  thirteen  is  considered  especially  un- 
lucky. 

Girls  are  often  married  at  an  early  age,  not 
infrequently  when  they  are  mere  children.     Every 
doctor  in  Persia  who  has  had  much  experience  could 
tell  most  dreadful  and  harrowing  stories  of  the  suf- 
fering these  early  marriages  have  caused.    I  have 
seen  children  brought  to  the  hospital  that  the  mere 
mention  of  their  husbands'  names  would  cause  out- 
bursts of  shrieks,  lest  they  might  be  compelled  to 
return  to  them.    It  is  needless  for  me  to  state  here 
that  these  early  marriages  on  the  part  of  girls, 
means  a  weakened  race.     Many  of  these  children 
are  married,  often  at  the  age  of  twelve,  to  men  old 
enough  to  be  their  grandfathers,  and  this  means  a 
large  number  of  widows.    As  many  of  these  widows 
are  left  without  means  of  support,  there  is  only  one 
road  open  for  them,  and  that  road  leadeth  to  de- 
struction.    Most  of  them  are  almost  -ompelled  to 
become  plural  wives,  or,  what  is  worse,  temporary 
one:^.,  the  Persian  law  sanctioning  either  arrange- 
ment.    Divorce  is  common  and  is  no  disgrace  for 


AMERICAN    MISSIONS         «46 

the  man.  Not  so  for  the  woman,  however,  for,  if 
she  belongs  to  the  upper  classes,  it  is  hardly  probable 
that  her  second  marriage  will  be  that  of  the  first 
wife  of  a  man  equal  to  her  by  birth  and  social  stand- 
ing. The  woman  cannot  divorce  her  husband,  but 
the  husband  has  only  to  notify  his  wife  that  she 
is  divorced  three  times  when  it  becomes  a  fact.  The 
men  marrying  into  the  royal  household  are  denied 
this  right,  also  plural  marriage.  Wife-beating  is 
common,  and  the  law  takes  no  notice  of  such  things, 
as  it  would  be  an  interference  with  personal  rights 
in  popular  estimation. 

Enough  has  already  been  said  in  this  chapter  to 
show  that  the  educated  mother  is  the  hope  of  the 
New  Persia  that  is  bound  to  rise  out  of  the  rem- 
nant of  the  old.  Indeed,  in  some  ways,  the  educa- 
tion of  women  is  more  important  even  than  that  of 
men.  Schools  of  every  creed,  tending  to  raise  the 
standard  of  the  home-life,  thus  placing  Persian 
womanhood  on  the  standard  that  it  was  when  the 
beautiful  Esther  reigned  in  the  palace  at  Shushan, 
ought  to  be  strongly  supported.  Let  us  not  deceive 
ourselves,  however,  in  thinking  that  education  alone 
will  make  honest  business  men  or  virtuous  women, 
ahhough  it  does  frequently  drive  sloth  and  in- 
dolence from  the  household.  The  thing  needed  in 
New  Persia,  for  both  men  and  women,  is  character, 
and  character  depends  upon  the  home,  and  the  home 
upon  the  wife  and  mother,  and  the  wife  and  mother 
very  often  owes  all  she  is  to  some  devoted  teacher. 


I 


216    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


who  labours  not  for  money,  but  for  love  of 
humanity. 

Missionaries  in  Persia  eschew  politics,  not  be- 
cause they  are  not  interested  in  seeing  good  govern- 
ment, but  because  the  reforms  they  are  sent  to  in- 
augurate are  social  and  not  political.  They  are  not 
meddlers.  More  than  one  of  the  medical  mission- 
aries have  been  offered  good  posts  in  governmental 
affairs,  but  have  declined  them.  They  have,  how- 
ever, always  stood  ready  to  co-operate  with  the 
authorities  in  every  good  work.  They  are  the 
health  officers  in  some  places,  and  most  of  them  are 
members  of  the  National  Board  of  Health,  an  or- 
ganisation that  has  done  much  good  in  stamping  out 
epidemics  of  all  kinds.  Their  students  are  the 
medical  advisers  of  many  governors  and  feudal 
lords.  When  Muzaffar-ed-Din  became  Shah,  Dr. 
Vanneman,  the  medical  missionary  of  Tabriz,  was 
asked  to  come  with  the  harem  as  medical  officer. 
The  party  consisted  of  several  hundred  i)eople,  being 
made  up  not  only  of  the  royal  personages  but  a 
host  of  scribes,  attendants,  and  servants.  The  cara- 
van required  more  than  two  weeks  to  make  the 
journey  from  Tabriz  to  the  Capital. 

In  1880,  there  occurred  an  uprising  of  Kurds 
along  the  Turco-Persian  frontier  under  the  leader- 
ship of  a  fanatical  sheik.  Diplomatic  relations  had 
not  been  established  between  the  United  States  and 
Persia,  and  our  missionaries  were  dependent  upon 
the  good  offices  of  the  British  representatives  in 


AMERICAN    MISSIONS        847 

Persia.    The  same  favours  were  always  granted  to 
Americans  by  the  Englisii  Minister  and  consuls  as 
were  shown  to  their  own  subjects.     Nm withstand- 
ing the  many  kind  and  helpful  aids  which  were  al- 
ways offere<l  willunit  stint  by  Englisli  ofTicials.  the 
Americans  had  made  it  a  rule  to  do  all  they  could 
alone,  before  invoking  official  aid  or  protect  ion.     It 
so  happened,  just  at  the  time  of  this  raid,  that  Dr.  J. 
P  Cochran,  then  a  very  young  man  in  Urimiia.  had 
been  appointed  by  the  mission  to  look  after  matters 
that  now  are  referred  to  our  own  Legntion.    Born 
in  the  country,  he  knew  the  languages  i)erfectly.  a.id 
was  counted  by  the  Sheik  his  friend,  as  well  as  the 
friend  of  the  Persian  forces  in  Urumia.     In  this 
dual  capacity  he  was  able  to  render  a  service  that 
not  only  saved  the  lives  of  the  missionaries,  but  the 
city  of  Urumia  from  complete  destruction.     It  was 
just  after  Turkey's  war  with  Russia,  and  when  her 
ann  was  impotent  to  do  anything  to  quiet  this  strong 
and  cruel  Kurdish  chief,  who  had  cn^scd  the  fron- 
tier from  Turkey  and  had  entrenched  himself  in 
tlie  mountains  just  back  of  Urumia.     The  Kurds 
were   plundering   right   and   left    all    through   the 
region,  having  defeated  the  Persian  troops  in  the 
first  conflict.    The  people  were  terror-stricken  when 
they  realised  their  position.    For  more  than  a  month 
all  communication  had  been  cut  off,  and  the  city 
was  at  the  mercy  of  the  Kurdish  horde.    The  day 
before  the  attack  uixin  the  city-walls  was  to  have 
been  made,  Dr.  Cochran  secured  the  promise  from 


M 


?.  I 


«48    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

the  Sheik  of  twenty- four  hours'  respite,  in  order  to 
allow  the  women  and  children,  especially  those  in 
the  schools,  to  leave  the  city.  This  was  granted, 
and  they  were  inoved  to  the  college,  which  is  some 
two  miles  in  the  country.  That  day  reenforcemcnts 
reached  the  city,  and  the  fertile  plain  with  its  many 
villages  was  saved  from  complete  destruction. 
While  this  incident  is  perhaps  tl.e  most  prominent 
example  of  this  sort  in  Dr.  Cochran's  career,  his 
long  ai.d  useful  life  was  filled  with  similar  services. 
He  was  a  man  who  loved  Persia,  a  favourite  of 
the  Persian  people,  without  regard  to  religious  affilia- 
tion, and  who  gave  his  life  for  the  social,  moral, 
and  spiritual  regeneration  of  all  classes.  The 
writer  was  at  the  Court  when  the  death  of  this 
good  man  was  announced,  and  he  thinks  he  knows 
enough  of  Persian  character  to  distinguish  between 
the  ordinary  expressions  of  condolence  and  genuine 
regret,  and  he  can  testify  to  the  manifestation  of 
sorrow  expressed  on  every  hand  at  his  untimely 
demise.  Another  great  service  rendered  by  him 
was  the  training  of  several  classes  of  medical  stu- 
dents, who  are  now  among  the  leading  doctors  in 
the  western  provinces. 

When  the  Persian  legation  was  established  at 
Washington  and  the  first  Minister  from  Iran  was 
sent  to  the  United  States,  Dr.  Torrence,  a  medical 
missionary,  was  requested  by  the  Persian  govern- 
ment to  accompany  the  mission  and  present  the 
Minister.    This  he  did  most  creditably. 


AMERICAN    MISSIONS        240 

The  fact  »        the  Persian  authorities  knew  that 
these  men  Iiad  no  iwHtical  mission,  and  that  they 
had  only  the  gcx)d  of  the  country  at  heart,  made 
tlicm  the  more  acceptable.    This  is  well  shown  in  the 
relationship  that   for  many  years  existed  between 
those  in  authority  and  Dr.  G.  W.  Holmes,  for  many 
years  the  medical  missionary  at  Tabriz,   L'rumia. 
and  later  on  at  Hamadan.  His  services  to  the  Shah 
and  his  Court  have  already  been  spoken  of,  but  his 
Work  was  not  alone  for  the  higher  classes.     Very 
often  patients  coming  to  the  hospital  in  Teheran 
from  the  i)oorer  villages  on  the  Hamadan  road  would 
sj)eak  of  his  services  to  them.   The  first  operation  for 
abdominal  tumour  ever  done  i..  the  city  of  Hamadan 
was  performed  by  him  in  a  native  mud  house,  with- 
out any  of  the  equipments  that  are  thought  neces- 
sary by  the  surgeon.    The  operation  was  quite  suc- 
cessful and  although  the  tumour  was  enormous  in 
size,  the  woman  lived  for  many  years  after.    Many 
other  such  instances  might  be  given. 

The  treatment  of  animals  by  the  Orientals  is 
nearly  always  cruel;  especially  is  this  true  of  dogs, 
horses,  and  beasts  of  burden.  Of  course,  there  are 
many  exceptions,  but  I  think  the  statement,  as  a 
general  one,  will  be  acknowledged  to  be  true  by 
the  Persians  themselves.  There  are,  for  instance, 
hunting  dogs  that  are  well  cared  for.  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  streets  are  full  of  homeless  dogs, 
wild  savage  creatures,  that  feed  upon  the  filth  of 
(he  street  and  upon  dead  carcasses  of  beasts  of 


250    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


burden.  If  a  donkey  of  the  caravan  dies  by  the 
wayside,  his  hide  is  immediately  removed  to  be 
made  into  leather,  but  the  body  is  left  and  is  soon 
devoured  by  these  roving  droves  of  dogs.  Indeed 
sag,  the  Persian  word  used  for  these  disgusting 
species  of  canine,  is  not  the  same  as  that  used  to 
denote  the  hunting-dog.  The  sportsman  always  re- 
fers to  his  dog  as  a  tuly.  The  animals  used  as 
beasts  of  burden  are  of  short  life,  being  worked  to 
the  extreme  limit,  and  often  poorly  fed.  It  is  not 
unusual  to  see  great  loads  put  upon  pack-animals, 
whose  backs  are  already  sore  and  bleedinf .  Horses 
are  daily  driven  in  the  public  carriages  in  Tehe- 
ran that  in  America  would  be  looked  after  by 
the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Animals. 

But  we  cannot  expect  that  animals  will  be  well- 
treated,  when  it  is  known  that  there  is  not  an  or- 
phanage in  or  about  the  Persian  capital.  Children 
that  are  left  by  the  death  of  their  parents,  or,  as 
often  happens,  by  the  abandonment  of  them  because 
of  the  death  of  the  mother,  divorce,  or  the  opium 
evil,  are  usually  taken  in  by  some  poor  neighbour. 
Sometimes  this  is  denied  the  child,  and  he  becomes 
an  outcast  in  the  street,  sleeping  wherever  he  can  find 
shelter,  and  eating  the  little  that  falls  from  the  rich 
man's  table.  I  now  recall  one  case  of  a  boy,  not 
more  than  twelve,  whose  foot  was  so  badly  frozen 
that  it  had  to  be  amputated  by  us.  One  of  the 
servants  found  the  boy  one  cold  morning  by  the 


AMERICAN    MISSIONS        261 

gateway  insensible.     He  carried  him  to  the  hos- 
pital, where  he  remained  for  some  months. 

The  condition  of  the  insane  in  Persia  is  even 
worse,  if  possible,  for  there  is  not  a  refuge  or  hos- 
pital for  these  unfortunates  in  the  whole  country. 
It  is  hard  for  even  the  most  enliglitened  to  look 
upon  one  whose  reason  is  dethroned  as  ill,  just  as 
the  same  person  might  h,^  'e  typhoid,  consumption, 
or  even  loss  of  sight,  hearing,  or  any'of  the  senses. 
They  have  not  got  completely  away  from  the  idea 
that  there  is  something  supernatural  about  insanity. 
The  Persians  often  attribute  it  to  an  evil-spirit,  and 
the  result  is  that  these  unfortunates  are  kept 
chained,  or  in  stocks,  or  confined  in  dark  rooms  and 
cellars.  The  little  light  of  reason  remaining,  under 
these  conditions,  soon  goes  out,  and  tiie  sufferer 
becomes  a  hopeless  imbecile.  The  writer  has  at 
various  times  urged  upon  those  in  authority  the 
need  of  an  hospital  for  the  insane,  but  with  little 
success.  As  the  moral  conscience  of  the  people 
rises,  this  matter  is  sure  to  be  taken  up.  At  pres- 
ent, it  is  one  of  the  darkest  social  pictures  in  the 
world. 

The  intense  brightness  of  the  sun,  bad  food,  rim- 
less hats,  clouds  of  dust  that  fill  the  street,  together 
with  filthy  habits,  make  eye  diseases  very  com- 
mon. There  are  no  institutions  for  the  blind  in  all 
Persia,  and  many  are  forced  to  beg  from  door  to 
door.  A  well-known  band  of  five  blind  men  may 
be  seen  frequently  in  the  streets  of  the  Capital. 


252     TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


They  go  hand  in  hand,  usually  just  before  sun- 
down, and  cry  in  concert  to  the  passers-by  for  alms. 
The  American  Mission  Hospital  was  the  first  to 
take  up  work  for  these  unfortunates  in  Teheran. 
Through  this  agency,  literally  thousands  of  eyes 
have  been  saved,  or  restored  to  sight  by  surgical  in- 
terference. Fortunately  the  ears  of  Persian  chil- 
dren fare  better  than  their  eyes,  and  there  are  few 
deaf  people,  and  almost  no  deaf-mutes.  This  is 
to  be  accounted  for  by  the  high  altitude  producing 
a  dry  climate,  and  the  further  fact  that  the  people 
spend  much  of  their  time  in  the  fresh  air  out-of- 
doors. 

Practically  nothing  is  being  done  for  the  lepers 
in  Persia,  except  by  the  missionaries,  and  I  regret 
to  say  that,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  work,  they 
have  not  been  able  to  do  as  much  as  they  would 
like  to  have  done.  Fortunately  this  afflicted  class 
is  not  very  numerous,  although  there  are  some  vil- 
lages given  up  to  them.  No  restrictions  are  put 
upon  them  by  the  government,  and  they  not  in- 
frequently may  be  seen  in  the  streets.  We  often 
had  them  come  into  our  dispensaries.  One  of  the 
American  ladies  who  visited  them  in  their  village 
writes,  "  I  could  not  keep  back  the  tears  when  I 
saw  their  deplorable  condition  and  knew  that  so 
little  was  being  done  for  them.  We  gave  them  such 
help  as  we  could. 

Gambling  and  intemperance  are  growing  evils  in 
Persia.    Every  sort  of  game  and  crude  device  are 


AMERICAN    MISSIONS 


253 


used  to  gain  money.  Little  boys  in  tlie  street  may 
be  seen  playing  at  craps,  using  small  vertebrse  for 
the  game.  Once  in  Tabriz  upon  examining  these 
bones  the  medical  missionary  found  them  to  be 
from  a  human  skeleton,  but  ccmmonly  bones  from 
sheep  are  used.  Cards,  dice,  and  devices  unknown 
to  the  Westerner  are  used  by  the  professional. 

This  list  of  evils  might  be  indefinitely  extended, 
but  it  would  do  no  good,  unless  at  the  same  time 
some  remedy  could  be  found,  and  in  pointing  them 
out  here  it  is  only  for  this  purpose.  That  the 
picture  has  not  been  overdrawn  is  known  by  all 
Europeans  and  Americans  who  have  taken  the 
trouble  to  investigate  these  questions.  The  mis- 
sionaries stand  ready  to  co-operate  with  any  move- 
ment, of  whatever  nationality,  having  for  its  purpose 
the  rectifying  of  these  crying  needs.  Th.;  fact  that 
they  have  not  been  able  to  do  more  cannot  be  used 
as  an  argument  in  decrying  what  has  already  been 
accomplished.  As  has  been  pointed  out  already,  hos- 
pitals and  dispensaries  have  been  established,  that 
are  the  only  hope  of  thousands;  schools  arc  train- 
ing men  capable  of  meeting  the  new  conditions 
now  arising  in  their  government;  the  work  of 
the  schools  for  girls  has  been  dwelt  upon;  and  an 
attempt  with  no  small  degree  of  success  has  been 
made  to  offer  a  clean  literature  in  the  vernacular. 
One  has  only  to  know  the  language  well  and  walk 
daily  in  the  streets  to  understand  how  greatly  such 
literature  is  needed.     The  charge  cannot  be  sus- 


254    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

tained  that  the  missionaries  in  Persia  have  been 
tneckUers.  or  that  they  have  held  themselves  aloof 
from  officials  of  any  nationality.    Their  lives  and 
^vork  have  been  an  open  book,  and  it  is  worthy 
of  remark  here  that  no  one  who  has  ever  visited 
their  institutions  has  offered  anything  but  praise 
at  what  he  saw.    Dr.  Augustus  L.  Kenny   a  well- 
known  surgeon  and  Roman  Catholic  of  Melbourne. 
Australia,  after  a  tour  of  the  world,  said  in  an  in- 
terview  for  an  American  newspaper,  concerning 
one  of  the  mission  hospitals:  "  I  doubt  if  there  is 
an  hospital  in  the  world  doing  more  meritorious 
work  "    The  missionaries  have  never  claimed  that 
their  methods  were  without  fault,  that  their  way 
was  the  only  one,  and  if  their  efforts  may  be  con- 
sidered worthy  of  such  hi^h  praise  it  is  because 
they  have  been  upheld  in  their  endeavours  for  so- 
cial reform  in  Persia  by  many,  both  on  the  field 
and  at  home,  not  a  few  of  whom  held  views  that 
differed  widely  from  theirs  in  religion,  politics,  and 
in  national  affiliation. 


X 


O 


X 

o 


■r. 
X 


a 


o 


y. 

o 
s 


XV 
COMMERCE,  INDUSTRIES,  AND   LAWS 

A  CCORDING  to  official  estimates,  the  popu- 

L\  lation  of  Persia  is  estimated  to  be  9,500,- 
X  X.  000.  A  glance  at  her  foreign  commerce 
may  be  of  interest  to  some,  about  one-half  of  which 
is  with  Russia,  one-fourth  with  Great  Britain,  and 
the  remaining  one-fourth  with  Turkey,  France, 
Austria,  Germany,  and  other  countries,  the  United 
States  being  classed  with  the  latter.  Indeed,  the 
United  States  sold  to  Persia,  in  1906,  only  $22,- 
618.00  worth  of  goods.  According  to  the  official 
reports  for  1906,  the  latest  available  statistics,  Per- 
sia exported  $25,210,298.00  and  imported  $33,235,- 
818.00,  which  included  all  sorts  of  goods. 

Taking  up  first  the  question  of  imports,  we  find 
that  she  used  6.779.000  pounds  of  tea,  which  cost 
her  $1,832,230.00,  and  at  the  same  time  her  sugar 
bill  was  more  than  four  times  this  sum. 

Owing  to  the  general  habit  of  cigarette-smoking, 
which  takes  more  matches  than  any  other  form  of 
using  the  weed,  her  bill  for  this  one  article  amounted 
to  $278,812.00.  Besides  the  enormous  quantities 
of  tobacco  grown  and  used  in  the  country,  the  im- 
port of  this  article  exceeded  the  export,  by  $43,- 

255 


256    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

774.00.  To  those  who  think  missions  expensive  we 
commend  these  two  items  for  their  consideration. 

During  the  same  year,  $1,294,730.00,  in  coin  and 
bullion,  were  imported,  while  $755,510.00  went  out 
of  the  country. 

It  takes  over  8,000,000  gallons  of  petroleum,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  millions  of  candles,  to  supply 
the  people  with  light,  while  notwithstanding  their 
crude  buildings,  the  carpenters  use  nearly  a  quarter 
of  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  nails. 

Persia  imported  $141,384.00  worth  of  bread 
stuffs.  In  this  same  year,  she  imported  $314,416.00 
worth  of  rice,  while  her  exports  of  this  article 
amounted  to  $2,654,218,00.  If  the  same  balance 
could  be  shown  in  grain  and  other  farm  products, 
the  finances  of  the  country  would  soon  be  upon  a 
substantial  basis. 

In  1906,  she  sold  to  Russia  alone  over  three  and 
a  half  million  dollars'  worth  of  raw  cotton,  but  in 
return  bought  over  four  million  dollars'  worth  of 
cotton  cloth  from  manufacturers  in  various  Russian 
towns.  There  •  no  probability  that  Persia  will  ever 
be  able  to  produce,  except  in  certain  small  valleys, 
raw  cotton  equal  in  cleanness,  silkiness,  or  length 
of  staple,  to  that  grown  in  the  Southern  States  of 
America.  It  is  well  known,  there  are  three  chemi- 
cal elements  that  are  essential  to  cotton  raising,  vie, 
phosphoric  acid,  nitrogen,  and  potash,  and  of  the 
three  phosphoric  acid  is  relatively  the  most  im- 
portant, controlling  the  action  of  the  other  two. 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    «57 

The  lack  of  transportation,  ignorance  on  this  sub- 
ject, and  other  reasons  have  prevented  the  Persians 
from  undertaking  this  necessary  fertiHsation  of 
their  soil. 

The  climate  in  Persia  for  raising  cotton  would 
seem  to  be  better  than  in  India  or  Egypt,  for  in 
those  countries  it  comes  to  maturity  too  early,  and 
the  result  is  a  short  staple.  The  same  thing  hap- 
pens in  Persia  in  regard  to  the  American  corn  or 
maize.  The  stalk  grows  rapidly,  but  as  soon  as  the 
hot  season  comes  on,  the  ear  rapidly  matures,  with 
the  result  that  it  is  less  than  half  the  size  it  should 
be.  So  it  is  with  the  cotton  in  some  parts  of  Persia; 
it  lapidly  matures,  producing  a  short  staple  and 
somewhat  coarse  fibre.  In  many  parts  of  Persia, 
although  they  keep  oxen  and  other  animals,  they 
cannot  apply  the  manure  to  their  fields,  being  com- 
pelled, because  of  the  scarcity  of  fuel,  to  dry  and 
burn  it.  At  present,  the  raising  of  cotton  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  ryots,  or  peasants,  who  sell  it  to  one  of 
the  two  or  three  large  Armenian  or  Russian  firms 
that  send  it  to  Moscow  or  other  places  to  be  manu- 
factured into  muslins.  It  is  picked  by  the  woman 
and  children  of  the  ryot's  family,  put  into  large 
bales,  not  too  large  to  be  transported  by  camel,  then 
covered  with  rough  gunny  and  tied  with  native 
rope.  Travellers  on  the  road  from  the  Caspian  to 
the  interior  may  see  hundreds  of  these  camels  carry- 
ing the  cotton  crop  to  Enzeli.  This  represents  only 
a  part  of  the  quantity  exported,   for  all  exports 


£68    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

raised  in  the  western  provinces,  of  which  Tabriz  is 
the  commercial  centre,  are  forwarded  to  Julfa,  and 
from  there  by  railway  to  Tiflis. 

The  Russian  road  from  Tabriz  to  Julfa,  on  the 
Aras,  is  now  practically  completed.  The  conveni- 
ence it  affords  travellers  and  merchants  is  very 
great.  It  should  benefit  Russian  trade  greatly,  as 
it  has  been  found  that  a  cart  drawn  by  two  oxen 
can  bring  the  loads  of  six  camels  at  one-sixth  the 
cost,  and  in  quicker  time.  Russian  goods  now  reach 
the  frontier  by  railway,  eighty  miles  from  the  large 
commercial  centre  of  Tabriz. 

In  addition  to  the  large  amount  of  cotton  cloths 
imported  from  Russia  in  1906,  more  was  imported 
from  Great  Britain.  Of  the  more  than  five  mil- 
lion dollars'  worth  brought  from  the  latter  empire, 
not  a  little  was  produced  in  India.  The  Indian 
muslins,  calicos,  and  white  cloths  are  favourites  in 
Persia. 

It  seems  strange  that  there  are  no  cotton  facto- 
ries in  Persia,  when  we  recall  the  many  mountain- 
streams  that  would  furnish  an  abundance  of  water- 
power,  the  cleverness  of  the  Persian  people  in  other 
crafts,  and  especially  their  renown  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  woollen  and  silk  articles.  That  a  people 
clever  enough  to  weave  the  most  beautiful  carpets  in 
the  world,  from  wool  and  cotton  produced  on  their 
own  lands,  the  dyes  of  which  they  gather  from 
herbs  and  trees  only  known  to  themselves,  should 
produce  such  a  small  part  of  the  cloth  for  their  own 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    269 


clothing,  is  certainly  striking.  And  yet  it  is  claimed 
that  our  English  word  muslin  is  but  another  way 
of  writing  tlie  word  Muslim.  It  may  be  that  the 
artistic  taste  of  the  Persian  is  not  satisfied  by  the 
dull  work  of  producing  ordinary  white  muslin;  at 
any  rate,  one  rug  will  bring  enough  on  the  mar- 
ket to  buy  many  yards  of  cheap  cotton  cloth.  No 
doubt,  however,  when  public  confidence  warrants  a 
combination  of  capital,  the  Pe-sians  will  find  a  profit- 
able investment  for  their  money  in  cotton  facto- 
ries. In  the  meantime,  there  is  no  reason  why  white 
cotton  fabrics  from  the  United  States  would  not  be 
appreciated  in  the  region  of  the  Gulf,  for  the 
climate  demands  only  this  kind  of  clothing.  This 
opinion  is  based  upon  the  populariiv  of  American 
cotton  fabrics  in  certain  comn..  es  along  the 
Arabian  coast. 

The  annual  export  of  wool  from  Persia  is  a  little 
less  than  one  and  a  half  million  dollars,  being  less 
than  one-half  of  the  entire  crop.  The  greater  por- 
tion of  Persia's  wool  crop  finds  its  way  into 
carpets.  Last  year,  the  local  value  of  the  carpets 
exported  was  $3,225,344.00.  The  word  carpets  in- 
cludes everything  from  a  small  prayer  rug  to  the 
carpet  large  enough  to  cover  the  drawing-room  of 
a  palace.  These  are  listed  under  the  usual  name 
of  places  where  they  were  made.  For  instance,  a 
Kermanshah  rug  will  be  called  a  Kermanshahee, 
a  Bokhara  will  bear  the  label  of  Bokharee.  while 
a  Kurdistan  one  will  be  known  as  a  Kurdistanee. 


i 


860    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

Altliough  the  thick,  heavy  nigs  having  a  long  nap 
are  preferred  in  America,  they  are  not  always  the 
best.  Very  frequently  they  are  loosely  woven,  and 
are  made  of  an  inferior  quality  of  wool.  The  most 
expensive  rugs  are  some  of  the  prayer  rugs,  a  yard 
wide  and  twice  that  in  length.  They  are  nearly 
always  thin,  easy  to  keep  clean,  and  will  last  for 
a  himc  red  years.  Rugs  of  this  kind  may  be  bought 
from  fifteen  to  fifty  dollars  per  square  yard.  The 
ordinary  large  heavy  carpets  that  one  sees  in  the 
stores  here  in  America,  may  be  bought  in  Persia 
from  four  dollars  a  square  vard  up  to  almost  any 
price,  depending  upon  age  and  quality.  I  saw  one 
rug  on  the  wall  of  a  nobleman  in  the  Capital,  which 
contained  about  forty  square  yards,  that  had  cost 
in  material,  labour,  and  dyes  more  than  eight  thou- 
sand dollars  to  produce.  Sometimes  rugs  can 
be  bought  in  London  about  as  cheap  as  in  Persia. 
This  was  the  case  two  or  three  years  ago,  when  the 
English  market  was  overstocked,  and  money  was 
scarce  in  Persia.  But  a  good  Turkoman  rug,  gener- 
ally known  in  America  as  Bokharee,  is  nearly  al- 
ways dear  everywhere.  The  price  of  all  Persian  rugs 
changes  so  radically  and  often,  that  it  is  difficult 
to  indicate  the  price,  except  in  a  general  way. 

Some  of  the  most  useful  rugs  are  the  galims. 
They  are  the  thin  rugs,  containing  often  not  a  little 
cotton.  The  price  is  about  forty-five  cents  a  pound. 
They  are  generally  of  a  convenient  size,  can  be 
washed  when  needed,  and  are  not  expensive.  Some 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    861 

of  the  designs  are  excellent,  but  unfortunately 
many  are  very  bright  and  disagreeable  to  the  eye. 
In  Persia,  they  are  used  for  hallways,  and  in  the 
homes  of  those  who  cannot  afford  ghalees,  or  the 
heavy  expensive  carpets. 

The  large  felt  carpets,  found  everywhere  in 
Persia,  have  found  no  place  in  the  American  mar- 
ket, although  they  are  excellent  for  bedrooms  and 
libraries.  They  are  usually  of  a  buff  colour,  have 
a  little  red  border,  and  are  thick  and  warm.  They 
are  made  by  beating  the  wool  together,  and  not 
by  weaving.  They  are  often  of  enormous  size,  and 
are  not  infrequently  used  under  other  carpets  in 
'■rder  to  produce  a  noiseless  room.  They  also  may 
be  used  on  dining  tables  as  silence  cloths.  Being 
of  woo'.,  and  at  the  same  time  thick  and  warm, 
they  are  always  an  excellent  mark  for  moths.  It 
is  interesting  to  see  how  firm  a  texture  may  be 
obtained  by  this  process  of  beating  the  wool  into 
large  sheets  and  then  pressing  it.  This  felt  is  also 
used  by  the  peasants  in  making  rimless  hats  for 
themselves. 

The  silk  rugs  of  Persia  are.  of  course,  superior 
to  the  woollen  ones  from  an  artistic  standpoint,  but 
are  less  serviceable.  The  beauty  and  richness  of 
the  silk  rug  consist  in  its  softness  and  the  change- 
able colours;  that  is  to  say,  as  the  light  falls 
upon  it  from  different  angles  the  shades  of  colours 
change.  I  once  saw  a  pair  of  these  rugs  in  the 
Palace  whose  beauty  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  (*  > 


262    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

scribe.    Silk  rugs  are  wall  ornaments,  piano  or  table 
covers,  and  not  coverings  for  the  floor. 

Persian  silk  is  well  known  everywhere.    Besides 
the  amount  used  in  the  country  in  the  manufacture 
of  cloth  and  carpets  for  the  people  themselves,  $i,- 
630,904.00  worth  was  exported.    A  history  of  the 
silk  trade  in  Persia  would  require  a  separate  chap- 
ter, since  it  has  been  an  important  export  as  far 
back  as  we  have  any  record  of  the  country.   Indeed, 
it  is  quite  likely  that  the  silk  trade  is  now  much 
less  than  it  was  two  centuries  ago.     At  present, 
much  of  the  silk  goes  to  Russia  and  Turkey,  but 
not  a  little  finds  its  way  to  France.     The  great 
silk-growing  region  borders  on  the  Caspian  Sea, 
while  it  is  produced  in  less  quantities  in  the  regions 
round    about    Kashan,    Yezd,    Tabriz,    and   other 
places.     The  word  ahrishiim,  used  by  the  Persians 
to  designate  all  sorts  of  silk,  is  used  in  Europe  only 
to  describe  the  first  quality  of  the  Persian  article. 
There  are  two  other  grades  of  inferior  quality. 
More  attention  is  now  being  given  to  the  silk  culture 
m  Ghilan  and  Mazanderan,  the  trade  being  in  the 
the  hands  of  the  Armenians  and  French.     Still,  as 
was  stated  above,  the  culture  is  much  less  than  two 
centuries  old,   and  is  to-day  capable  of  much  de- 
velopment. 

It  is  surprising  to  one  accustomed  to  think  of 
Persia  as  a  dry,  barren  highland,  to  find  her  fish- 
eries exporting  in  a  single  year  $3,225,344.00  worth 
of  fish.   These  fisheries  are  largely  along  the  south- 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    263 

ern  shore  c.  the  Caspian  and  are  farmed  out  to  a 
Russian  firm.  Naturally,  the  products  are  sold  to 
that  country.  Some  of  these  fish  are  the  best  that 
are  found  in  Russia,  a  land  where  an  abundance  of 
the  best  fish  can  always  be  obtained, 

Persia  exjiorts  annually  about  two  hundred  thou- 
sand pounds  of  opium.  It  is  safe  to  say  that 
twenty-five  per  cent,  of  her  crop  is  consumed  at 
home.  The  fact  that  this  drug  is  lacking  in  mor- 
phine, its  active  principle,  makes  it  a  favourite  for 
those  addicted  to  the  opium  habit. 

Persia  exix)rts  annually  about  $500,000  worth 
of  live  stock,  consisting  mostly  of  horses  and  some 
sheep.  Being  a  pastoral  country,  this  branch  of  her 
industries  inight  be  greatly  developed.  All  through 
the  various  ranges  of  mountains  are  acres  of  fine 
meadows  that  nn'ght  afford  an  abundance  of  pas- 
ture for  horses  as  well  as  sheep.  They  are  now 
utilised  largely  by  bands  of  nomads,  who  pasture 
their  sheep  and  goats  there.  As  one  horse  is  worth 
the  price  of  twenty  sheep,  it  can  easily  be  seen  that 
the  raising  of  the  former  would  be  much  more 
profitable.  There  is  ready  sale  for  Persian  horses 
in  India,  and  most  of  those  exixjrted  are  shipped 
to  Bombay.  The  favourite  for  the  Indian  market 
is  a  breed  known  at  tin.  Karabagh  horse.  They 
are  a  very  hardy  l)ree(l.  and  seem  to  stand  the 
Indian  climate.  The  .Arab  and  Turkoman  breeds 
have  been  spoken  of  in  another  chapter. 

There  is  no  more  delicate  beast  of  burden  than 


264    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


the  camel.  While  he  is  capable  of  carrying  great 
loads,  and  seems  specially  adapted  to  the  desert,  he 
very  easily  becomes  sick  and  dies.  He  is  especially 
subject  to  all  kinds  of  skin  diseases,  as  well  as  in- 
ternal ones.  He  brings  a  high  price  in  the  mar- 
ket, and  the  death  of  a  camel  is  no  small  loss  to 
the  owner  of  a  caravan  route.  In  the  heavy 
snows  that  are  common  to  Persia,  during  January 
and  February,  he  is  at  a  great  disadvantage. 

The  exportation  of  hides  in  a  single  year,  most 
'if  which  represents  the  Persian  lamb  and  sheep- 
skins, amounts  to  nearly  one  million  of  dollars.  These 
lamb-skins  are  bought  from  fifty  cents  to  two  dol- 
lars and  a  half  from  the  peasants.  Some  of  them 
are  very  handsome,  and  would  bring  ten  times  their 
price  here  in  America.  Many  of  the  lambs  are  killed 
for  their  hides  alone,  and  the  springtime  is  when 
the  poor  as  well  as  the  rich  can  have  cheap  meat. 
The  ordinary  astrakhan  takes  its  name  from  the 
Russian  town  of  Astrakhan,  on  the  Caspian,  which 
has  always  been  famous  for  the  best  lamb-skins. 
They  are  brought,  however,  from  the  highlands  of 
Persia,  although  a  considerable  quantity  is  produced 
on  the  Russian  side  of  the  Caspian. 

The  goat-skins  of  Persia  are  highly  prized  by 
those  requiring  warm  linings  for  their  heavy  coats, 
for  making  Russian  carriage  rugs,  and  by  the  na- 
tives of  the  Caucasus  for  caps.  Some  of  them  are 
soft,  warm,  and  have  an  excellent  colour,  being 
glossy  black. 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    265 

The  exportation  of  raisins  from  Persia  is  an  in- 
dustry that  might  be  greatly  increased.  In  every 
part  of  the  country  there  are  sheltered  nooks  on 
the  hills  supplied  with  an  abundance  of  water, 
where  the  finest  qualities  of  grapes  can  be  grown 
at  almost  no  cost.  At  present,  the  regions  about 
Urumia,  Kasvin,  Hamadan,  Ispahan,  and  Shiraz, 
are  the  greatest  grape-growing  regions. 

There  are  no  mines  in  Persia  except  the  tur- 
quoise, and  she  must  import  all  her  iron  and  steel 
manufactures.  American  stoves  for  heating,  while 
few,  are  always  sought  after  and  are  popular. 
The  same  can  be  said  of  American  hardware.  On 
several  occasions,  the  writer  has  bought  locks  with 
American  names,  but  the  pm^e  of  manufacture  was 
very  curiously  spelled.  Of  course,  they  were  in- 
ferior imitations  of  exct.  nt  American  articles, 
made  somewhere  out  of  the  country,  as  their  mis- 
siJelled  labels  indicated. 

Persian  leather  is  only  good  for  bookbinding. 
When  I  say  only  good  for  this  one  thing,  I  mean  that 
for  making  boots  and  harness  and  other  articles  re- 
quiring a  strong  leather  it  cannot  be  compared  with 
our  American  article.  But  for  binding  books  it  is 
excellent,  and  this  art  has  been  well  developed  in 
Persia.  On  the  other  hand,  over  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars'  worth  of  leather  articles  were  im- 
ported into  the  country  last  year.  It  would  seem 
to  offer  a  splendid  opportunity  for  American  boot 
and  shoe  dealers.    The  excellent  leather  saddlebags, 


266    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


medicine  cases,  and  similar  articles  ought  to  find 
a  ready  market  in  Persia. 

The  trade  of  northern  Persia  naturally  belongs 
to  Russia,  while  England  will  always  control  the 
Gulf.  There  are,  however,  a  limited  number  of 
articles  which  Americans  supply  to  Russia  that 
would  be  most  useful  in  north  Persia.  Among 
them  we  might  name  ploughs,  and  all  other  agri- 
cultural implements.  Flour  is  more  easily  brought 
from  Odessa,  .Marseilles,  or  Trieste  than  from 
America.  On  the  other  hand,  as  the  country  de- 
velops, there  must  be  a  demand  for  iron,  brass,  and 
steel  manufactures. 

Up  to  a  comparatively  recent  date  (lie  art  of 
dentistry  was  practically  unknown  in  Persia,  ex- 
cept by  a  few  Europeans.  For  many  years,  M. 
Hybennet,  dentist  to  the  Court,  was  the  only  one 
in  Teheran.  He  rendered  a  great  service  to  the 
people,  as  well  as  to  the  Court,  by  demonstrating 
the  fact  that  extraction  is  not  the  sole  remedy  for 
toothache,  and  that  this  practice  should  not  be  left 
in  the  hands  of  the  barbers.  There  are  nov;  in 
nearly  all  the  larger  towns  a  few  good  dentists, 
just  as  there  are  good  doctors.  Some  of  them  are 
making  a  good  deal  out  of  their  business,  and  are 
at  the  same  time  rendering  a  great  service  to  the 
communities  in  which  they  are  located.  There  is 
no  reason  why  America,  the  land  of  dentistry 
should  not  supply  these  men  with  their  necessary 
outfits.    America  ought  to  get  hold  of  this  branch 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES 


267 


of  trade,  just  as  Germany  is  getting  hold  of  the 
drug  trade. 

These  few  points  in  regard  to  Persia's  foreign 
commerce  have  been  mentioned  only  to  call  attention 
to  theni  as  matters  of  general  interest.  It  cannot 
be  claimed  by  any  one  that  Americans  have  been 
commercially  ambitious  in  Persia  when  Russia  sells 
her  $16,714,616.00;  Great  Britain,  $6,938,910.00; 
British  India,  $3,586,372.00;  France,  $1,682,- 
418.00;  Austria-Hungary,  $1,137,178.00;  Ger- 
many, $573,620.00;  China,  $137,858.00;  while  the 
sales  of  the  United  States  remain  at  the  very  modest 
figure  of  $22,618.00. 

Turning  now  to  the  natural  resources  of  the  coun- 
try, a  number  of  which  have  already  been  men- 
tioned, we  might  say  that  any  move  that  would 
supply  the  country  with  more  trees  would  be  a  great 
blessing.  This  is  being  recognised  more  and  more, 
and  as  one  rides  through  the  country  he  sees  large 
groves  of  poplars  planted  by  the  water-ways.  An 
ordinary  poplar  pole,  of  say  eight  to  ten  years' 
growth,  will  bring  anywhere  from  fifty  cents  to 
two  dollars  and  more  in  Teheran.  On  an  acre  of 
ground  might  be  grown  at  least  one  thousand  of 
these  trees,  leaving,  after  the  expense  of  cultiva- 
tion, one  thousand  dollars  profit  at  the  end  of  ten 
years.  Of  course,  if  the  cultivation  of  timber  lands 
became  more  common,  the  price  would  be  much 
less,  and  the  expense  of  transport  would  not  be 
decreased. 


268    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

The  methods  of  sowing  and  reaping  the  grain 
could  also  be  greatly  improved.  The  methods  now 
used  were  those  used  in  Nineveh  and  Babylon,  and 
are  really  more  expensive  than  modern  machinery. 
The  fact  that  the  summers  are  long  and  hot,  free 
from  rain,  makes  it  possible  to  delay  the  reaping 
of  the  wheat  until  it  is  convenient  to  do  it.  The 
grain  is  hard,  and  when  ground,  makes  very  good 
flour.  The  mills  are  equally  primitive  in  their  con- 
struction, being  only  two  crude  stones,  all  run  by 
water. 

Petroleum  has  been  found  in  the  region  below 
Kermanshah,  but  whether  or  not  in  such  quanti- 
ties as  to  prove  profitable  has  not  yet  been  de- 
termined. Until  there  are  better  means  of  trans- 
portation, it  will  be  impossible  for  the  company 
to  reach  Teheran  and  the  larger  places  with  their 
products,  even  though  they  find  oil  in  paying 
quantities. 

The  turquoise  mines,  on  the  road  to  Meshed,  are 
said  to  be  less  profitable  since  the  discovery  of  the 
mines  in  Arizona.  The  American  turquoise  is  su- 
perior to  the  Oriental  ones,  being  harder  and  less 
liable  to  change  colour.  The  Persian  stone,  if  kept 
thoroughly  clean  and  free  from  soap  and  water,  is 
very  handsome,  and  is  a  general  favourite  in  the 
East. 

The  unit  of  weight  in  all  transactions  in  Persia 
is  the  miscal,  seventy-one  English  grains  or  ninety- 
six  Persian  grains.    Four  Persian  grains  make  a 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    269 

nakhod,  while  sixteen  miscals  are  called  a  seer.  Five 
seers  are  reckoned  a  kervankeh,  while  heavy  articles 
are  sold  by  the  batman  or  man.  This  latter  weight 
varies  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  from  six 
and  a  h.''lf  pounds  to  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
pounds  ( 1 16.8).  Wheat,  barley,  straw,  wood,  and 
coal  are  sold  by  this  weight  in  small  quantities, 
but,  if  in  large  quantities,  the  kharvar  is  used.  In 
Teheran,  one  hundred  mans  make  a  kharvar.  The 
unit  of  measure  is  the  zair,  about  40.95  inches.  Six 
thousand  zairs,  a  little  less  than  four  miles  (3.87), 
make  a  farsakh.  or,  as  the  Greeks  called  it,  a  para- 
sang.  The  measure  of  surface  is  the  jerib,  1,066 
square  zairs,  or  1,294  square  yards. 

The  monetary  unit  is  the  kran,  a  silver  coin, 
now  weighing  seventy-one  grains,  or  somewhat  less. 
The  proportion  of  pure  silver  is  about  eighty-nine 
and  a  half  per  cent.  Large  business  transactions, 
however,  are  reckoned  in  tomans,  the  toman  being 
nearer  to  our  dollar  than  any  other  standard  of 
currency.  Roughly  speaking,  the  dollar  equals  a 
toman,  and  our  dime  equals  the  kran.  The  cur- 
rency of  the  country,  being  on  a  silver  basis,  the 
value  of  the  toman  fluctuates  with  every  change  in 
the  price  of  silver.  This  fluctuation  is  often  ex- 
treme, as  during  the  Russian-Japanese  war,  when 
the  kran  rose  in  value  to  the  unprecedented  price  of 
nearly  thirteen  cents,  while,  a  year  after  the  close 
of  the  war,  it  fell  to  less  than  nine  cents.  Even 
in  different  parts  of  the  country  exchange  on  Lon- 


270    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

don  or  New  York  brings  different  prices  on  the 
same  date,  local  conditions  affecting  the  supply  and 
demand  for  money. 

The  word  pul,  pronounced  pool,  is  the  general 
term  for  currency,  but,  in  fact,  it  is  the  smallest 
copper  coin,  equal  in  value  to  about  one-fourth  of 
a  cent.  When  fifty  krans,  or  five  tomans,  are  equal 
to  the  pound  sterling,  the  coins  in  general  circula- 
tion have  the  following  value,  the  value  of  the  cop- 
ptr  coins,  however,  being  only  approximate: 


Pfil equals 

Khalii "  .48 

Two  Shah  is        .        .         .        .        "  .96 

Five  ShMiis        .        .         .        .        "  2.4 

Ten  Shuhis        .        .         .        .        "  4.Q 

One  Kran,  also  callei'  Hizar    .        "  08 

Two  Krans,        "          Do  Hizar      "  19.6 

Five  Krans,        "          Panj  Hizar  "  49. 

Toman,  ten  Krans    ..."  98. 

Three  Tomans          ..."  $2.94 

Five  Tomans     .        .        .        .        "  4-90 


.24  cents — Copper 


Silver 


Paper 


There  are  also  bank-notes  of  ten,  twenty,  fifty, 
and  higher  denominations,  that  circulate  at  par  with 
coin.  Gold  is  not  much  in  use,  but  coins  of  one- 
fourth,  one-half,  and  one  toman  are  frequently 
seen,  while  those  of  two,  five,  ten,  and  even  twenty, 
may  be  obtained.  The  kran  is  commonly  called 
one  hizar,  because  there  are  one  thousand  dinars 
in  it,  the  word  hizar  meaning  a  thousand,  in 
Persian.     There  is,  of  course,  td  such  coin  as  a 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    871 

dinar,  any  more  than  there  is  a  mill  in  American 
currency,  but  the  people  continue  to  reckon  small 
accounts  in  this  now  imaginary  coin.  Formerly, 
the  dinar  was  equal  to  the  present  value  of  the 
kran. 

There  is  a  very  good  story  of  a  European  who 
had  a  horse  presented  to  him  by  a  Persian  noble- 
man for  some  service.  The  value  of  the  horse  was 
twenty  dollars  only,  but  in  writing  home  he  stated 
that  the  animal  had  been  valued  at  two  hundred 
thousand  dinars !  Many  a  truth  has  hidden  in  it  the 
intention  to  deceive ! 

The  Imperial  Bank  of  Persia  purchased  the 
Persian  branch  of  the  Oriental  Bank  in  1889. 
Since  then,  it  has  been  the  most  important  factor 
in  Persia's  financial  system.  It  has  rendered  a  great 
service  to  the  people  of  Persia  in  establishing  a 
system  of  currency  which  has  commanded  their  re- 
spect and  confidence.  In  times  of  distress  it  has 
loaned  the  government  funds.  Especially  did  it 
render  a  great  service  when  it  advanced  funds  with 
which  to  pay  the  troops,  when  Nasr-ed-Din  Shah 
was  assassinated  in  1896.  This  was  done  through 
Mr.  Joseph  Rabino,  the  manager,  who  thoroughly 
understood  the  Persian  situation,  and  had  a  mas- 
terly grasp  of  Oriental  finance. 

Besides  the  Imperial  Bank  of  Persia,  which  is 
thoroughly  an  Fnglish  corporation,  there  is  a  Rus- 
sian bank  that  has  loaned  immense  sums  to  the 
merchants  having  business  transactions  in  Russia. 


«7«    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

In  the  bazaars  tliere  are  numerous  money-lenders 
and  small  bankers. 

Since  the  inauguration  of  the  National  Assembly, 
a  determined  move  has  been  made  by  the  g(wern- 
mont  to  establish  a  Persian  National  Bank.  A 
Reuter's  telegram  from  Teheran  states  that  the  con- 
cession for  the  National  Bank  of  Persia  has  been 
signed.  The  principal  conditions  are  as  follows: 
"  The  capital  is  15,000,000  tomans.  Foreigners  are 
excluded  from  participation.  All  governmental 
revenues,  not  mortgaged,  are  to  be  collected,  and 
all  expenditure  paid  by  the  bank  on  behalf  of  the 
government.  The  bank  is  empowered  to  contract 
mortgages  and  loans,  local  and  foreign,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  sacred  law.  The  bank  will  have 
priority  over  all  other  institutions  which  may  offer 
the  same  terms  in  regard  to  mines,  the  pearl  fishery 
in  the  Persian  Gulf,  the  construction  of  roads  and 
railways,  and  will  have  the  right  to  issue  bank- 
notes when  the  Imperial  Bank  of  Persia  ceases  op- 
erations through  the  expiry  of  its  concessions,  or 
from  any  other  cause.  A  separate  agreement  is  to 
be  concluded  between  the  bank  and  the  govern- 
ment, under  which  the  latter  borrows  from  the 
bank  2,000,000  tomans  at  nine  per  cent.,  one-half 
of  the  amount  being  payable  before  and  one-half 
after  March  i,  1908.  An  additional  clause  stipu- 
lates that  the  bank  concession  shall  be  annulled  if 
the  money  is  not  forthcoming.  The  Assembly  will 
of  course  extend  the  time,  if  necessary."    In  com- 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    «73 


meriting  on  the  foregoing,  the  London  "  Financial 
Times  "  adds :  "  The  Imperial  Bank  of  Persia  pos- 
sesses the  sole  privilege  of  issuing  bank-notes  in 
Persia  for  fifty  years  to  come." 

The  clause  in  the  foregoing  touching  upon  the 
sacred  law  clearly  indicates  that  the  Shahr  is  still 
to  take  precedence  over  the  Urf.  It  would  seem, 
notwithstanding  its  parliament  or  national  assem- 
bly, that  Persia  is  likely  to  remain  for  many  years 
to  come  a  theocracy.  The  Shahr  is  the  sacred  law, 
which  is  administered  in  nearly  all  civil  cases  by 
the  priests  or  high  priests  of  the  community.  It  is 
based  upon  the  Koran,  and  is  held  in  much  higher 
esteem  by  the  faithful  than  the  decrees  of  parlia- 
ments and  even  of  executives.  No  one  in  Persia 
would  think  of  buying  real  estate  without  having 
the  seal  of  some  well-known  ecclesiastic  upon  it. 
It  would  be  quite  unsafe  to  do  so,  unless  the  pur- 
chaser was  backed  by  some  powerful  influence,  in 
which  case  his  heirs  would  probably  be  confronted 
with  all  sorts  of  lawsuits  and  litigation.  This  code 
of  Persia,  which  is  paramount  in  all  business  mat- 
ters that  would  be  settled  by  civil  law  in  Amer- 
ica, is  divided  into  four  parts:  religious  rites  and 
duties,  business  anJ  commercial  obligations,  sani- 
tary and  religious  duties  concerning  the  person, 
and  the  last  touching  upon  the  questions  growing 
out  of  the  use  of  clean  or  defiled  foods,  penalties 
for  certain  crimes,  and  misdemeanours  against  the 
civil  law.    Just  as  the  scope  of  our  law  has  been 


«74    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

enlarged  by  the  decisions  of  the  high  courts,  so  the 
Shahr  of  Persia  has  had  added  to  it  many  interpre- 
tations by  those  who  have  for  centuries  achiiin- 
istered  it.  If  we  were  able  to  trace  back  certain  of 
its  clauses  that  we  think  most  extraordinary  we 
would  find,  doubtless,  that  they  had  their  origin 
in  the  Jewish  nation  h-  .e  the  time  of  Abraham, 
They  have  the  central  purpose  of  turning  men 
toward  the  path  of  duty,  notwithstanding  the  many 
abuses  and  extraordinary  features  that  have  crept 
in.  But  it  takes  more  than  a  law  to  turn  the  hearts 
of  any  people  into  the  straight  and  narrow  path. 
The  strong  hold  this  law  has  upon  its  people, 
the  conviction  in  their  minds  that  it  is  without  error, 
and  consequently  forbids  an  appeal,  makes  foreign 
capital  timid  in  entering  the  country,  notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  many  of  their  laws  are  sound,  and 
many  of  their  practices  are  not  unwise.  Nothing 
will  ever  make  it  -•  dr  >able  pl-.cp  for  investments 
until  there  is  an  awakened  public  conscience  and 
many  social  and  economic  reforms. 

The  ordinary  criminal  may  be  judged  by  the 
Shahr,  or  sacrea  law,  but  is  usually  turned  over, 
often  with  contempt,  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
Urf.  Instead  of  a  priest  sitting  as  judge,  it  is 
usually  a  provincial  governor,  or  some  petty  officer. 
Many  are  punished  in  Persia  by  the  police  without 
the  form  of  a  trial  in  court.  No  Persian  subject  is 
too  small,  or  for  that  matter  too  big,  to  escape  the 
bastinado.    This  public  whipping  does  not  seem  to 


SDMi:  <>i    iiiK  rr.usiAN  constaiu'i.ary. 

Tliis  force  is  nuimrni*  in  lilu-iaii.  Tlity  an-  tin-  Shah's  imssiniiivs.  and 
are  ureatly  Itarcd  hy  thi-  iDpulaci-.  I'unishniciit  such  as  whiiMnnii  is 
often  inflU'tec)  by  them. 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    276 


I 


carry  with  it  any  special  disgrace.  The  truant  boy, 
the  impudent  young  man  as  well  as  the  thief,  has 
to  '  eat  wood,"  as  they  call  it.  The  punishment 
mir-  consist  of  great  "bluff"  and  few  sticks,  or 
gr..at  stick  and  few  "bluffs."  The  victim  is  laid 
on  his  back,  his  heels  lashed  to  a  pole,  the  ends  of 
the  pole  being  then  raised  to  expose  the  soles  uf  his 
feet.  The  police  then  apply  the  sticks  to  his  bare 
feet.  When  it  is  desirable  to  add  a  good  dose  of 
"  bluff  "  to  the  affair,  the  public  executioner  is  called 
to  administer  the  sticks.  The  provincial  governor 
would  hesitate,  with  few  exceptions,  to  take  the  life 
of  a  criminal  without  communicating  with  the  Shah. 
The  chiefs  of  the  Urf  are  not  so  cruel  as  they 
are  frequently  represented  to  be.  Punishments  that 
might  be  thought  too  severe  in  America  would  be 
considered  childish  in  Persia. 

It  is  always  unfortunate  for  a  rich  man  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  law  anywhere,  and  especially 
is  this  true  in  Persia.  Often  the  most  severe  sen- 
tence is  inflicted,  and  the  judgment  stanc'3  if  a  good 
deal  of  money  is  not  forthcoming.  It  is  a  common 
remark  that  the  machinery  of  the  law  has  to  be  oiled 
with  "  palm  oil." 

Realising  this  feature  of  the  law,  it  has  made  ar- 
bitration much  more  popular  in  the  business  and 
commercial  world  in  Persia.  In  bankruptcy,  and  in 
all  disputes  between  leading  merchants,  the  mejlis 
or  council  is  cmi)l()yed.  In  some  places,  these 
boards  of  arbitration  are  permanent,  the  members 


I. 

s 


876    TWENTY  YEARS   IN  PERSIA 

having  entered  into  an  agreement  to  stand  by  their 
decision.  In  such  a  body,  there  would  be  little 
chance  for  bribery  and  crookec' less.  If  there  is 
cause  for  complaint  against  a  member,  a  messenger 
is  sent  with  a  polite  note  asking  him  to  meet  the 
plaintiff  at  the  home  of  the  chief  of  the  board  of 
arbitration.  Both  the  defendant  and  the  plaintiff 
being  present,  all  documents  bearing  upon  the  case 
are  inspected.  If  the  witnesses  are  not  sworn  on 
the  Koran,  there  may  be  a  great  deal  of  lying  and 
false  testimony.  If,  however,  the  witnesses  are 
sworn,  it  is  not  very  hard  to  arrive  at  the  truth. 
The  disinclination  of  the  Persian  to  take  this  oath, 
even  when  he  is  ready  to  tell  the  truth,  precludes 
its  use  except  in  extreme  cases. 

The  taking  of  an  oath  by  many  of  the  poorer 
classes  is  little  short  of  jeopardising  their  chance 
of  Eternity.  And  yet  it  is  sometimes  curiously 
evaded  or  got  around.  The  story  is  told  of  a  man 
who  gave  his  promise  that  if  an  old  enemy  would 
come  to  see  him  he  would  not  hurt  him,  that  it  was 
his  desire  to  make  friends  and  live  in  peace.  His 
enemy  required  an  oath  on  the  Koran,  which  said 
that  before  injuring  him  the  ma-  would  prefer  the 
grave.  His  enemy  came  and  was  treated  with 
courtesy,  but  after  leaving  the  house  he  was  shot.  It 
seems  that  the  man  had  dug  a  grave  and  had  slipped 
into  it,  and  had  fired  the  fatal  shot  concealed  in  it. 
It  must  be  said  that  in  nearly  all  civil  cases,  such  as 
contracts,  obligations,  and  even  bankruptcy,  a  com- 


COMMERCE,    INDUSTRIES    277 


promise  is  urged.  Nearly  all  the  Persians  are 
lovers  of  peace  and  good-fellowship,  notwithstand- 
ing their  tempers,  which  so  frequently  cause  them 
to  make  exhibitions  of  themselves. 

It  is  very  easy  to  see  how  these  three  systems  of 
administering  law  and  justice  must  necessarily  often 
conflict,  and,  as  there  is  no  supreme  court,  the  diffi- 
culty must  be  settled  by  an  appeal  to  the  Shah,  or 
to  one  of  the  high  Mohammedan  ecclesiastics.  An 
opinion  given  by  the  Imaum-Juma  in  Teheran  will 
stand,  and  no  one,  of  course,  would  question  a  set- 
tlement brought  about  by  so  exalted  an  authority  as 
the  Shah. 

Cases  against  foreigners  residing  in  Persia  are 
considered  extra-judicial,  at/d  are  matters  for  the 
consideration  of  the  Foreign  Office.  Usually,  how- 
ever, the  European's  legatic  )r  consulate  takes  up 
the  matter  and  brings  about  a  satisfactory  settle- 
ment. When  the  European  is  the  plaintiff  and  the 
Persian  is  the  defendant,  t'  i  question  can  be  quickly 
settled  if  it  is  a  criminal  case  and  falls  within  the 
province  of  the  Urf.  If,  however,  it  is  a  case  in- 
volving much  money  and  falls  into  the  hands  of  the 
administrators  of  civil  justice,  the  case  may  drag 
along  for  years,  the  settlement  depending  largely 
upon  the  activity  of  his  legation  or  consulate,  as  the 
case  hapi)ens. 

There  is  no  extradition  treaty  between  the  United 
States  and  Persia,  and  up  to  this  time  there  is  no 
record  of  this  fact  having  been  taken  advantage  of. 


M 


^78    TWENTY       EARS   IN   PERSIA 


It  would  be  interesting  to  know  just  what  might 
happen  if  a  murderer  or  criminal  should  seek  refuge 
there.  For  one  to  go  to  Persia  to  remain  idle  for 
years,  simply  to  escape  arrest  and  punishment, 
would  seem  to  be  enough  to  deter  any  one  from  try- 
ing it.  If  such  a  case  did  happen,  the  course  of  the 
Persian  authorities  would  be  that  recommended  by 
the  legation  interested,  in  all  probability. 

The  new  tariiT  laws  of  Persia,  enacted  in  1903, 
have  a  reciprocal  clause  which  has  been  complied 
with  by  the  Russian  Government.  Before  this  en- 
actment, a  few  krans  were  charged  as  an  en^^^rance 
fee  at  the  port,  regardless  of  values  and  contents. 
The  new  laws  are  not  exorbitant,  and  the  country 
badly  needs  the  revenues.  Certainly  as  Americans 
we  cannot  object  to  high  tariff  rates,  so  long  as  we 
impose  higher  ones  upon  goods  entering  our  own 
ports. 


XVI 


THE   PERSIAN  GOVERNMENT 

THE  Persian  Government,  for  the  purpose 
of  description,  may  be  divided  into  three 
departments,  viz.,  The  Court,  the  Minis- 
terial Departments,  and  the  National  Assembly. 
While  these  three  divisions  of  the  government  are 
separate,  yet  they  are  so  interlaced  that  in  many 
ways  they  are  one.  Until  1906,  the  government 
of  Persia  was  an  absolute  monarchy.  The  Shah 
is  yet  the  Supreme  Ruler,  Executive,  and  Counsel- 
lor, in  every  department,  although,  by  the  inaugura- 
tion of  the  National  Assembly  or  Parliament,  his 
rights  have  been  more  sharply  defined. 

There  seems  to  exist  in  the  minds  of  many  Amer- 
icans not  a  few  misapprehensions  concerning  the 
Persian  Court,  and  especially  concerning  the  last 
three  rulers  of  that  ancient  and  historic  country. 
In  a  short  chapter,  one  can  touch  only  upon  a  few 
of  the  more  prominent  features  of  the  Court  and  its 
centre,  the  Shah,  but  it  is  a  pleasure  to  correct  some 
of  the  erroneous  reports  that  one  often  sees  in  the 
newspapers.  These  have  arisen  by  writers  who  have 
not  lived  in  the  country,  mere  travellers  on  the  hunt 

279 


III 


'4 

f 


280    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

for  all  that  is  new  and  sensational,  often  deeply 
prejudiced  against  the  Oriental,  sending  home  for 
publication   their   highly-coloured    articles.    These 
distorted  accounts  are  also  often  the  result  of  trying 
to  measure  everything  in  Persia  by  our  Western 
conception  of  how  things  ought  to  be.    To  interpret 
the  Orient,  we  must  turn  the  pages  of  history  back 
many  centuries  and  remember,  far  beyond  the  date 
of  the  discovery  of  America,  long  before  the  power 
of  our  English  ancestors  was  felt  in  the  East,  that 
then  Persia  was  enjoying  a  high  state  of  civilisation 
and  culture.     Even  if  there  are  apathy,  graft,  and 
consequent  weakness,  we  must  approach  the  consid- 
eration of  her  internal  affairs  with  fairness,  if  we 
are  to  understand  aright,  remembering  ti^at  in  all 
European   and   American   governments   there   are 
features  that  may  be  improved.    Had  Persia  taken 
all  the  free  advice  that  has  been  extended  to  her  by 
various  writers,  she  would  be  to-day  a  paradise  and 
model  for  the  world. 

Persia  is  a  country  whose  list  of  heroes  includes 
Cyrus,  Darius,  Xerxes,  Khosroe,  and  the  long  list 
of  Parthian  kings,  to  say  nothing  of  the  later  ones, 
who,  as  late  as  two  hundred  years  ago.  proved  their 
prowess  by  their  wars  upon  India.  In  a  public 
square  just  in  front  of  the  Palace,  in  Teheran,  is  a 
large  cannon  captured  by  Nadir  Shah  in  his  attack 
upon  Delhi,  and  it  is  said  that  many  of  the  royal 
treasures  are  of  Indian  origin.  The  large  stone 
bridges,   caravansaries  or  inns,  that  one  sees  on 


m 


THE  CKUW.V   I'UIXCE  OF   rKKSlA. 


I 'I 

li! 


PERSIAN    GOVERNMENT      281 

every  hand  in  travelling  over  the  country,  were  built 
by  the  modern  king,  Shah  Abbas. 

That  the  names  and  titles  of  the  Shah  of  Persia 
are  many  is  not  strange,  when  we  remember  the 
splendour  of  this  Court  when  the  patriarchal  idea  of 
government  alone  prevailed.  Then,  too,  the  Ori- 
ental desires  these  things;  indeed,  he  would  not  be 
satisfied  with  our  simple  methods  of  transacting 
public  affairs.  There  is  nothing  selfish  about  this 
idea,  and  officials  of  every  class  and  nation  are  hon- 
oured in  Persia.  A  few  years  ago,  when  Muzaflfar- 
ed-Din  Shah  sent  an  embassy  to  Washington  to 
announce  the  succession  of  his  eldest  son,  The 
Prince,  as  the  Heir  Apparent  to  the  Throne,  the 
simple  methods  of  our  government  officials  were 
severely  criticised,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  tact- 
ful handling  of  the  question  by  the  American  Charge 
in  Teheran,  the  new  American  Minister,  then  on  his 
way  to  Persia,  would  have  had  a  cool  reception. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  American  Gov- 
ernment had  made  no  arrangements  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  its  guests,  the  Persians  forgave  all,  and 
sent  the  usual  host  with  an  escort  to  the  Caspian  to 
meet  the  Minister  and  conduct  him  with  all  honour 
over  the  two  hundred  miles  from  the  sea  to  the 
Capital. 

Every  minister  or  other  diplomatic  officer  sent  to 
Teheran  is  considered  the  guest  of  the  country  in  a 
very  special  manner.  He  is  met  at  Enzeli  by  a 
Mamondar,  or  host.     When  it  is  announced  to  the 


282    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

Court  that  a  new  minister  is  on  the  road  to  Persia, 
this  gentleman  gathers  about  him  his  servants,  gets 
his  instructions  from  the  Government,  and  proceeds 
to  the  frontier  to  meet  the  distinguished  visitor. 
The  Minister  is  treated  as  the  guest  of  the  Govern- 
ment,  all  along  the   route— special   honour  being 
shown  him.     As  he  approaches  the  Capital,  he  is 
met  by  a  military  escort  and  conducted  to  his  lega- 
tion with  much  ceremony  and  brass-band  music. 
After  his  arrival,  it  is  usual  for  the  Shah  to  send 
him  a  riding  horse,  and  on  national  fete  days,  such 
as  the  Fourth  of  July,  it  is  not  unusual  for  the  Gov- 
ernment to  formally  participate  in  the  celebration  by 
sending  some  little  refreshments  to  be  served  with 
those  of  the  Minister. 

The  various  heads  of  the  legations  in  Teheran 
are  a  mighty  influence  in  all  affairs  of  a  political 
and  social  character.  More  than  once  storms  having 
their  origin  in  the  tea-cups  have  gained  in  velocity 
until  they  shook  the  whole  community.  Unfor- 
tunately, this  sort  of  thing  promises  to  get  worse 
instead  of  better.  If  the  diplomatic  body,  backed 
by  their  governments,  could  unite  in  the  sole  pur- 
pose of  assisting  Persia  to  regain  her  former  pres- 
tige, it  would  be  a  blessed  thing  for  the  country. 
But  when  this  comes  about  we  shall  not  be  far  from 
the  millennium. 

The  titles  by  which  the  Shah  is  addressed  by  his 
courtiers  and  subjects  may  be  correctly  translated 
into  such  exalted  phrases  as  King  of  Kings,  The 


PERSIAN    GOVERNMENT      aH3 

Centre  of  the  World,  Asylum  of  the  Universe,  The 
Blessed,  and  other  similar  expressions.  While  these 
are  intended  by  the  Persians  to  exalt  and  honour 
their  king,  we  must  not  forget  that  they  are  at  the 
same  time  idioms,  and  are  not  to  be  translated  liter- 
ally. Every  one  knows  that  we  give  the  title  of 
Mr.  to  many  who  lack  much  of  being  masters,  and 
many  an  "  Excellency  "  falls  far  short  of  the  high 
mark  that  his  title  would  seem  to  indicate.  Just 
so  it  is  with  the  titles  of  all  Oriental  rulers,  they 
must  be  considered  simply  as  a  part  of  etiquette  and 
ceremony.  The  high  offitials  of  the  Court  fre- 
quently refer  to  themselves  as  the  King's  Sacrifice. 

The  chiei  officer  of  the  Court  is  known  by  the 
title  of  Minister  of  Court,  and  he  is  responsible  for 
all  ceremonies  and  functions.  He  is  not  in  the  true 
sense  an  officer  of  the  Government,  and  yet  it  is  a 
position  of  such  tremendous  influence  that  those 
holding  it  are  recognised  among  the  most  inii^or- 
tant  officials  of  the  kingdom.  Under  him  are  a  dozen 
or  more  bashccs,  or  heads  of  sulwrdinate  depart^ 
ments,  such  as  master  of  the  horse,  master  of  the 
chase,  chief  of  the  guard,  chief  of  the  escort,  chief 
barber,  chief  gardener,  and  chief  of  the  eunuchs. 
These  latter  are  Ixith  white  and  black,  and  are  the 
personal  attendants  of  the  ladies  of  the  harem.  Be- 
sides these,  there  are  musicians,  painters,  readers, 
and  many  others  employed  in  the  royal  household. 

Among  this  great  number  are  not  a  few  Africans, 
there  being  no  prejudice  against  a  man  in  Persia 


Ui 


«84    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

because  of  his  colour.     I  do  not  now  recall  evt 
seeing  a  black  man  or  woman  workinj;  in  the  fields 
and  even  the  black  slave  considers  himself  in  a 
better  position  than  many  of  the  paid  servants.  Tliey 
are  the   stewards  of  many   households,   and   are 
treated  with  more  consideration  and  favour  than  are 
the  winte  paid  servants.    Their  position  for  life  is 
usually  secure,  and  many  are  rich  and  well-to-do. 
The  women  are  often  married  to  white  men      If 
the  Persian  slavehokler  be  of  high  rank  and  meets 
with  reverses,  his  shan  or  honour  will  not  allow  him 
to  sell  the  slaves;  he  nearly  al-.ays  frees  them.  This, 
however,  often  proves  a  punishment  rather  than  a 
blessing,  for  many  of  them  thus  turned  loose  must 
seek  another  master,  or  fare  badly.    But  notwith- 
standing these  features,  slavery  is  always  a  curse 
both  to  the  master  as  well  as  to  the  enslaved,  and  the 
number  of  slaves  in  Persia  is  rapidly  and  surely  de- 
creasing. 

The  chief  vices  in  all  these  large  households  are 
those  of  greed,  intrigue,  and  scandal.  There  are 
always  sr„nc  drunkards  and  opium-smokers,  but  in 
the  royal  houseliold  a  closer  watch  is  kept  on  the 
servants,  and  these  things  are  now  not  especially 
common. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  Court  costs 
Persia  not  less  than  half  a  million  of  dollars  an- 
nually, the  habits  of  the  king  are  always  compara- 
tively snnple.  He  rises  at  an  early  hour,  has  a  light 
breakfast,  consisting  of  some  tea  and  bread  with  a 


PERSIAN    GOVERNMENT     «85 

little  cliccse,  then  comes  tho  kalyan  or  water-pipe, 
and  immediately  afterward  the  (hities  of  the  day 
are  taken  up.  At  noon,  a  Umchcon  is  served,  and, 
ahhouK'h  there  arc  many  dishes,  only  a  few  are  par- 
taken of.  In  the  afternoon,  tea  is  again  served. 
Dinner  is  usually  served  in  the  andcroon. 

Several  times  each  week  His  Majesty  goes  for  a 
drive  to  one  of  his  near-by  palaces  or  gardens.  The 
master  of  the  escort  arranges  for  this  by  sending 
his  men  along  the  road,  where  they  are  stationed  at 
street  corners  and  other  points  where  there  might 
be  disturbances.  The  Shah  usually  rides  in  a  closed 
carriage,  drawn  by  six  horses,  if  the  automobile  is 
not  chosen.  In  any  case,  he  is  surrounded  by  a 
guard  of"  a  hundred  horsemen,  all  heavily  armed. 
This  guard  is  considered  one  of  honour  as  well  as 
for  protection.  In  Persia  they  have  a  curious  habit 
of  dyeing  the  tails  of  the  horses  a  sort  of  light  red. 
It  seems  a  much  less  cruel  method  of  marking  the 
govcnmient  animals  than  the  older  one  of  brand- 
ing, as  is  still  practised  in  some  of  our  Western 
States. 

The  master  of  the  chase  has  a  very  important 
post,  as  no  pleasure  of  the  Court  is  more  highly 
prized  than  that  of  the  hunt.  All  to  the  east  of 
Teheran  are  the  grc:.'  preserves  of  the  Court.  The 
region  is  mountainotts  and  is  filled  with  big  as  well 
as  little  game.  The  bigger  game  consists  of  a  kind 
of  panther,  called  by  the  Persians  pulatig,  wild  boar, 
and  mountain  goats.    There  are  a  few  elk,  but  of 


I 


•f- 


286    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

small  variety.  There  is  an  abundance  of  small  game, 
such  as  foxes,  hares,  and  pheasants.  The  Persian 
hare  is  even  larger  than  the  American  jack-rabbit, 
and,  to  those  fond  of  the  chase,  it  is  a  splendid  sight 
to  see  the  hounds  following  one  of  these  long-legged 
hares  at  full  speed. 

The  great  hunt  of  the  Court  is  usually  in  mid- 
winter and  is  conducted  from  Jarge  Rud.  At  this 
point,  there  is  a  shooting  pavilion,  where  the  Shah 
makes  his  headquarters,  with  not  less  than  five  thou- 
sand attendants.  As  these  must  remain  in  tents, 
it  is  a  pretty  severe  test  of  loyalty  on  the  part  of  the 
men.  But  they  are  always  anxious  to  go,  and  are 
able  to  make  themselves  fairly  comfortable  in  their 
double-lined  tents  with  charcoal  fires.  They  gener- 
ally remain  out  for  at  least  a  fortnight,  and  some- 
times longer,  in  which  case  the  Prime  Minister  and 
other  high  officials  accompany  the  party. 

With  this  great  number  of  people,  it  is  evident 
that  the  medical  department  of  the  Court  is  not  an 
unimportant  one.  Indeed,  it  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant. Soon  after  the  Crimean  War,  Nasr-ed-Din 
Shah  requested  the  French  Government  to  send  one 
of  their  best  men  to  Persia  as  the  European  doctor 
to  the  Court.  The  choice  fell  upon  a  young  French 
surgeon  who  had  been  with  the  troops  at  the  mem- 
orable fight  at  Sevastopol,  and  who  was  acquainted 
somewhat  with  Oriental  character.  For  more  than 
forty  years  Dr.  Tholozon  faithfully  followed  the 
fortunes  of  his  royal  master,  dying  at  the  age  of 


PERSIAN   GOVERNMENT     «87 


seventy-eight,  a  few  years  after  the  assassination  of 
his  chief,  and  lies  buried  in  the  CathoHc  cemetery  at 
Teheran.  Although  he  had  been  decorated  by  nearly 
every  sovereign  in  Europe,  great  as  these  honours 
were,  he  valued  more  the  love  and  esteem  of  the 
Persian  people,  and  it  is  probable  that  no  European 
was  ever  esteemed  higher  by  any  Oriental  people 
than  was  Sir  Joseph  Tholozon. 

Before  Dr.  Tholozon's  death  he  requested  an  as- 
sistant, and  Dr.  Schneider  of  the  French  army  was 
sent  to  Teheran.  He  remained  for  more  than 
twelve  years  as  one  of  the  Court  physicians,  and,  in 
addition  to  this,  was  instrumental  in  reorganizing  the 
Conseil  Sanitaire,  the  National  Board  of  Health. 
This  organisation,  composed  of  the  leading  phy- 
sicians of  the  country,  succeeded  in  stamping  out 
the  plague,  and  has  done  excellent  service  in  many 
ways.  Dr.  Schneider,  upon  his  return  to  his  post 
in  the  army,  left  Dr.  Coppin  as  the  French  medical 
representative  at  the  Court. 

The  Hon.  Dr.  Lennox  Lindley  is  the  representa- 
tive of  English  medicine  on  the  staflF.  During  the 
reign  of  the  late  Shah,  he  was  chief  of  the  Staff. 
Sir  Hugh  Adcock,  who  succeeded  the  American 
physician.  Dr.  Holmes,  while  the  late  Shah  was  yet 
the  Heir-Apparent,  was  the  predecessor  of  Dr. 
Lindley,  and  rendered  fifteen  years  of  service  to  the 
Court. 

At  various  times  consulting  staffs,  from  among 
the  representatives  of  Western  medicine  at  the  Capi- 


i 


wi 


1 


n\ 


288     TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


tal,  have  been  deemed  necessary  by  the  physicians  at 
Court.  For  instance,  during  the  severe  and  pro- 
longed illness  of  the  late  Shah,  a  consulting  staff  was 
instituted,  consisting  of  Dr.  Scott,  Medical  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Indo-European  Telegraph  Depart- 
ment; Dr.  Sadowsky,  surgeon  to  the  Cossack  Bri- 
gade in  Teheran,  and  the  present  writer.  This  staff 
assisted  the  regular  physicians  for  several  months 
in  attendance  on  the  royal  patient. 

The  Indo-European  Telegraph  Department  of  the 
Indian  Government  has  a  well-equipped  dispensary 
in  Teheran,  which,  under  the  direction  of  its  medical 
superintendent,  is  proving  a  great  blessing  to  many. 
But  its  greatest  work  to  the  Persian  Government  has 
been  along  the  Gulf,  in  helping  to  keep  back  epi- 
demics of  cholera  and  plague  that  have  threatened 
Persia.  This  work  is  all  under  the  direction  of  Dr. 
Scott,  of  Teheran. 

In  this  connection  the  writer  would  like  to  speak 
of  the  work  of  another  English  doctor,  who,  before 
his  untimely  death,  had  been  frequently  connected 
with  the  Court  in  an  unofficial  way.  I  refer  to  the 
late  Dr.  Odling,  for  many  years  physician  to  the 
British  legation.  During  his  nearly  thirty-five  years 
in  Persia  he  rendered,  daily,  a  splendid  service  to 
every  class,  from  the  king  to  the  peasant.  His 
grave  in  the  Protestant  cemetery  at  Teheran  bears 
the  appropriate  inscription,  "  Where  the  tree  grew 
there  let  it  fall."  Since  Dr.  Odling's  death  the 
British  Government  has  continued  this  work  under 


-» 


1 

1 


1 


PERSIAN   GOVERNMENT     289 

the  direction  of  Dr.  Neligan,  physician  to  the 
Legation. 

It  would  seem  that  with  this  number,  together 
with  several  medical  professors  in  the  Royal  College, 
the  public  health,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Court,  would 
be  well  cared  for.  And  yet  the  country,  with  nine 
and  a  half  million  population,  has  less  than  fifty 
regularly  qualified  doctors.  The  people  have  not 
been  educated  to  pay  adequately  for  medical  treat- 
ment, except  the  very  rich. 

On  two  occasions  celebrated  specialists  have  been 
called  to  Persia.  For  this  service  an  oculist  is  said 
to  have  been  paid  $35,000  and  his  expenses,  while 
the  German  spet..alist  called  in  to  see  the  late  Shah 
_was  paid  abcut  $26,000  and  his  expenses  for  one 
month's  service.  It  is  needless  here  to  remark  that 
the  missionary  doctors  have  not  shared  in  these 
large  fees. 

In  the  Palace  are  an  excellent  laboratory  and  phar- 
macy, under  the  direction  of  a  skilled  French  chem- 
ist. Here  all  sorts  of  examinations  are  made  for 
the  doctors,  while  the  various  public  water  and  food 
supplies  of  the  town  may  be  investigated  by  those 
desiring  to  do  so.  This,  like  many  other  innova- 
tions in  Persia,  is  of  recent  date. 

The  Ministry,  consisting  of  the  Sadr-Azam,  or 
Prime  Minister;  the  Sapar  Salar,  or  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  army;  the  Minister  for  Foreign 
Affairs;  a  Treasurer-General;  and  Ministers  of  Post, 
Telegraph,   Science,  and   Public  Construction  are 


m 


290    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

nominated  by  the  Crown  and  confirmed  by  the  Na- 
tional Assembly.  During  the  past  two  years,  owing 
to  the  political  changes  that  have  swept  over  the 
country,  the  Ministry  has  changed  frequently.  It  is 
evident  that  the  reforms  that  have  been  inaugurated 
are  going  to  make  the  work  of  the  heads  of  the 
various  departments  of  government  much  more 
difficult  than  in  former  years.  Many  of  the  offices 
of  the  public  service  offer  good  financial  berths,  in 
the  way  both  of  salaries  and  perquisites.  To  hold 
one  of  these  offices  naturally  adds  greatly  to  the 
sitan  or  honour  of  the  individual,  and  this  ^citure 
appeals  mightily  to  the  Oriental.  One  of  the  abuses 
that  the  Reform  Party,  through  the  National  As- 
sembly, has  been  seeking  to  correct  is  the  paying  of 
salaries  to  a  host  of  grandees  who  take  no  thought 
for  raiment,  toiling  not,  neither  do  they  spin,  and 
yet  even  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed 
like  one  of  these.  This  is  not  a  literal  quotation, 
but  it  seems  to  fit  the  case  very  well ! 

The  paying  of  pensions  to  any  and  all  sorts  of  peo- 
ple has  been  a  crying  evil,  that  will  soon  be  corrected. 
It  began  in  ages  past  by  granting  from  the  public 
treasury  small  stipends  to  the  families  of  certain 
favourites.  The  recipient  may  be  the  son  or  daugh- 
ter of  some  high  official,  who  may  have  rendered 
some  service  for  which  he  was  at  the  time  paid,  or 
it  may  be  the  son  or  daughter  of  some  servant  of  a 
grandee  whose  service  was  to  him  a  personal  one. 
Dozens  of  families  in  every  large  Persian  town  have 


I' 


PERSIAN   GOVERNMENT     «91 

some  sort  of  salary  from  the  government.  Some 
of  these  are  small,  but  the  aggregate  amounts  to  an 
enormous  sum,  that  must  be  borne  by  the  taxpayer. 
A  great  many  native  doctors  have  a  small  salary 
from  the  government.  Some  years  ago,  a  doctor 
that  was  employed  in  our  hospital  applied  to  me  to 
help  him  to  secure  a  pension.  I  asked  him  upon 
what  ground  he  proposed  to  apply  for  this  grant. 
He  replied,  "  I  am  getting  to  be  an  old  man  and  my 
family  is  not  provided  for,  and  the  kindness  of  the 
Shah  is  great."  I  signed  his  petition  thinking  noth- 
ing would  come  of  it,  but  after  some  months  he 
came  to  see  me,  and,  with  a  beaming  face,  he  said 
that  a  grant  of  one  hundred  dollars  per  year  had 
been  made  to  him  and  his  family.  Since  his  death, 
this  pension  has  been  paid  with  more  or  less  reg- 
ularity. 

When  Nasr-ed-Din  Shah,  some  years  ago,  visited 
the  American  Mission  school  in  Teheran,  he  sig- 
nalised it  by  a  grant  from  the  Public  Treasury,  to  be 
paid  annually  at  the  Persian  New  Year.  For  some 
years  the  collection  of  this  grant  was  not  difficult, 
but,  as  timt  "nt  on,  it  cost  more  than  it  was  worth 
to  collect  it,  ai.a  it  was  dropped.  Not  a  few  of  these 
pensioners  spend  most  of  their  time  collecting  their 
stipend.  The  man  whose  duty  it  is  to  pay  them 
often  is  without  funds,  and  the  holders  of  these 
warrants  must  frequently  wait  a  year  for  a  single 
partial  payment.  A  Persian  sage  once  remarked, 
that  a  pensioner  who  had  to  collect  his  stipend  was 


'■.n 


1 1 

Aft 


m 


u 


292    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

like  unto  a  man  who  married  a  woman  for  her 
money — he  earned  it ! 

The  most  important  office  in  the  Persian  Ministry 
is  that  of  Sadr-Azam,  or  Prime  Minister.  He  must 
represent  the  Crown  in  many  ways,  and  is  in  daily 
conference  with  him.  Not  a  few  of  these  men  have 
been  exceedingly  clever  officers.  Their  work  is 
always  very  heavy,  and  the  social  duties  in  a  land 
like  Persia  are  overwhelming.  He  is  consulted  on 
all  sorts  of  questions,  from  the  destruction  of  the 
grain-fields,  in  some  remote  province  by  grasshop- 
pers, to  the  negotiation  of  the  Anglo-Russian  agree- 
ment concerning  Persia.  He  must  live  in  state  and 
entertain  lavishly,  and,  while  surrounded  by  much 
ceremony  and  etiquette,  he  cannot  be  exclusive.  It 
is  easier  for  the  poor  man  to  reach  the  Prime  Min- 
ister in  Persia  than  for  the  lower  classes,  in  many 
western  lands  that  claim  to  be  democratic,  to  secure 
an  audience  with  their  head  of  the  Department  of 
State.  On  the  other  hand,  the  dinners  and  enter- 
tainments given  by  him  in  grand  European  style 
must  be  as  brilliant  as  they  can  be  made. 

The  writer  has  had  the  pleasure  and  honour  to 
attend  these  functions  from  time  to  time.  I  remem- 
ber one,  probably  the  most  brilliant  ever  given  in  the 
Persian  capital,  at  which  the  whole  European  colony 
was  invited  to  assist  in  celebrating  the  Shah's  birth- 
day. The  Prime  Minister  seemed  to  be  at  his  best, 
and,  as  he  moved  from  one  room  to  another  among 
his  guests,  very  few  understood  that  his  resignation 


PERSIAN   GOVERNMENT     298 


; 


had  already  been  accepted  by  his  sovereign,  whose 
birthday  was  being  celebrated,  and  that  horses  were 
already  provided  to  carry  him  into  exile.  The  next 
day  his  downfall  was  announced,  and  he  left  for 
Kum,  where  he  was  detained  for  nearly  two  years. 
It  has  been  an  unwritten  law  that  those  who  have 
held  this  high  office  must  leave  the  Capital,  and 
often  the  country,  when  there  is  a  change  of  Min- 
istry. He  later  made  a  tour  of  the  world,  crossing 
the  United  States  from  San  Francisco  to  New  York. 
At  New  York,  when  he  was  leaving,  he  had  the 
steamer  held  a  half-hour  while  he  took  breakfast  on 
shore.  He  explained  his  delay  by  saying  that  his 
appetite  was  never  good  on  shipboard. 

The  Ministry  for  Foreign  Affairs  is  the  one  with 
which  foreigners  sojourning  in  Persia  have  the  most 
to  do.  All  private  matters  intended  for  the  Foreign 
Office  must  come  throvgh  a  legation.  It  is  only  in 
extreme  cases  that  a  foreign  minister  deals  directly 
with  the  Shah.  All  matters  touching  upon  questions 
of  ordinary  importance  are  settled  through  the  For- 
eign Office.  There  are  a  number  of  under-secre- 
taries,  who  have  charge  of  the  affairs  of  one  or  more 
countries.  The  affairs  of  Great  Britain,  and  also 
those  of  Russia,  are  of  such  magnitude  in  Persia  as 
to  require  one  or  more  men  each,  while  the  affairs 
of  those  countries  that  have  fewer  subjects  are  usu- 
ally grouped  until  one  under-secretary  can  care  for 
the  business  of  two  or  even  more  legations.  The 
social  duties  devolving  upon  the  Foreign  Minister 


«94    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

are    but    little    less    than    those   of    the    Prime 
Minister. 

The  present  postal  system  in  Persia  was  inaugu- 
rated in  1875,  when  the  country  was  admitted  into 
the  Postal  Union.     Now  nearly  every  town  big 
enough  to  have  a  bazaar  is  reached  by  the  postal 
department.     In  most  of  the  towns  and  villages  let- 
ters are  brought  to  the  house  by  carriers.     The  post- 
age on  all  letters  from  the  United  States  to  any  place 
in  Persia  is  five  cents,  but  the  amount  allowed  is 
of   course    only   that   permitted    by   international 
agreement.     Not  a  few  of  the  letters  that  came  to  us 
were  overweight,  in  which  case  we  had  not  only  to 
pay  the  extra  postage  but  pay  a  fine  of  a  few  cents 
as  well.     But  as  all  mail  in  Persia  must  be  carried 
overland,  usually  on  horseback,  the  government  de- 
clines to  deliver  books  and  articles  of  merchandise 
throughout  the  country  without  extra  postage.  This 
seems  only  fair,  for  a  dozen  heavy  volumes  that 
might  be  carried  on  a  postal  car  at  home  from  New 
York  to  the  Pacific  for  less  than  two  dollars,  would 
cost  five  times  that  amount  to  carry  them  across 
Persia  on  the  backs  of  post-horses.     The  postal  sys- 
tem in  Persia  is  fairly  satisfactory,  considering  the 
difficulties  under  which  they  labour.     There  are  few 
roads,  and  many  of  the  highways  are  infested  with 
robbers  and  lawless  people.     When  the  Americans 
first  went  to  Persia,  in  1835,  letters  came  every  three 
months,  and  then  through  the  kindness  of  the  Brit- 
ish diplomatic  officers.    The  English  Consul-General 


PERSIAN   GOVERNMENT     296 

in  Tabriz  allowed  them  to  forward  their  letters  to 
London  by  the  British  courier,  and  from  London 
they  were  re-sent  to  America.  This  courier  still 
makes  trips  to  Persia  bearing  the  despatches  of  the 
British  Legation  and  her  Consulates  throughout  the 
country. 

Every  important  town  in  Persia  is  reached  by  tele- 
graph. These  messages  are  often  slow  and  unsatis- 
factory in  their  despatch,  but  of  late  there  has  been  a 
great  improvement.  On  several  occasions  upon  start- 
ing home  I  have  sent  messages  from  towns  two  hun- 
dred miles  from  Teheran,  informing  my  friends  of 
the  time  of  my  arrival  there,  and  then  have  reached 
the  Capital,  on  horseback,  before  the  message  had 
been  delivered.  Since  the  general  introduction  of 
the  French  language  in  these  governmental  posts, 
which  permit  the  sending  of  messages  in  either 
English  or  French,  we  have  found  less  difficulty  in 
getting  them  through.  Of  course,  the  Persian  lan- 
guage is  the  one  generally  used,  but  French  or  Eng- 
lish is  known  by  nearly  all  the  clerks  and  operators. 
The  splendid  management  of  the  English  telegraph 
has  been  a  great  example  as  well  as  a  useful  help 
in  this  department. 

The  departments  of  science,  education,  and  justice 
ought  to  be  thoroughly  reorganised,  and  they  will 
doubtless  be  in  time.  It  is  obvious  that  without  a 
better  system  of  education  there  can  be  little  hope  for 
the  country,  and  at  the  same  time  the  need  of  an 
honest  judiciary  goes  without  saying. 


n 


!     I 


896    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

As  yet  no  great  work  of  public  construction  has 
been  undertaken  by  the  Persian  Government.  Until 
the  administrative  department  is  better  organised  it 
has  been  wisely  given  over  to  foreigners.  These 
improvements  have  been  confined  to  the  construc- 
tion of  trade  routes,  bridges,  and  the  improvement 
of  harbours. 

Passing  now  to  the  army,  we  find  this  one  of  the 
greatest  items  of  expense.  It  is  hard  to  discover  the 
exact  number  of  men  in  the  Persian  service,  because 
so  many  are  on  paper  and  cannot  be  found.  The 
length  of  service  is  often  for  twenty  years.  In  times 
of  peace,  the  soldier  is  expected  to  spend  every  third 
year  in  the  army.  There  are  usually  ten  thousand 
troops  in  Teheran,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  there 
are  ten  times  this  number  throughout  the  country. 
They  are  obtained  by  requiring  a  certain  district 
or  village  to  furnish  its  quota  of  men  for  the 
army.  Lots  are  cast,  and  those  who  are  chosen 
must  be  supjiorted  by  those  who  remain  at  home. 
In  times  of  peace,  the  soldiers  in  the  larger  places 
are  hired  out  as  guards  and  gate-keepers.  For  this 
service  they  are  paid  one  dollar  per  month,  and  they 
must  board  themselves.  In  addition  to  this,  they 
receive  a  small  stipend  from  the  Department  of 
War,  together  with  two  suits  of  cheap  clothing  per 
year.  Little  as  their  pay  is,  they  must  divide  it  with 
their  superior  officers.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  their  lot 
is  not  an  enviable  one,  nor  is  it  calculated  to  foster 
loyalty  and  beget  deeds  of  bravery. 


PERSIAN   GOVERNMENT     897 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  although  the 
administration  of  government  in  Persia  is  simple, 
and  still  along  patriarchal  and  paternal  lines,  it  must 
cost  a  considerable  sum  to  conduct  it,  and  hence  the 
collection  and  disbursement  of  the  revenues  consti- 
tute obviously  important  features  of  the  national 
administration.  The  government  gets  its  revenues 
from  two  sources,  the  customs  and  levies  througli 
the  local  governors.  The  former  is  not  unlike  our 
own  system  of  taxation,  and  yields  a  great  part  of 
the  public  revenue.  The  latter  is  very  unlike  any- 
thing known  in  America.  The  government  appoints 
a  governor  for  one  of  the  well-known  provinces, 
with  the  understanding  that  a  certain  revenue  will  be 
forthcoming  from  the  various  districts  under  him. 
Sometimes  these  expectations  are  large  enough  to 
cause  a  governor  to  refuse  an  appointment.  This  is 
not  always  easy,  as  in  the  case  of  one  of  the  writer's 
patients,  who,  being  named  governor  of  Urumia 
some  years  ago,  resigned  the  appointment  several 
times  without  his  resignation  being  accepted.  His 
refusal  to  leave  the  Capital  for  the  post  brought 
some  of  the  guards  from  the  government,  with  the 
warning  that  the  sooner  he  went  the  better.  He 
then  went  immediately.  The  same  thing  happened 
with  the  Prince  Yamin-e-Sultan,  for  some  time  gov- 
ernor of  Hamadan.  He  did  not  want  the  place  at 
any  price,  but  he  was  kept  there  regardless  of  his 
wishes.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  such  a  policy  will 
not  commend  itself  to  the  people's  business  sense. 


!■ 


f  I 


if 


S98    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

There  is,  of  course,  a  r»son  for  such  action,  al- 
though the  motives  that  prompt  it  are  not  always  in 
evidence. 

These  governors-general  are  responsible  for  the 
control  of  vast  territories  of  land.  In  all  the  large 
towns  are  sub-governors,  who,  in  turn,  are  over  the 
katkhodas,  or  village  masters.  The  latter  are  really 
the  tax-gatherers  of  the  country,  sending  their  men 
to  every  land-owner  and  tax-payer.  The  rate  of 
taxation  varies  in  different  regions,  depending  some- 
what upon  the  avariciousness  of  those  in  authority. 
In  a  general  way,  the  rightful  tax  or  assessment  is 
not  exorbitantly  high;  the  sair,  or  what  we  would 
call  a  poll-ta::,  is  about  one  dollar  a  year,  while  the 
land  tax  is  but  one  or  two  per  cent,  of  the  value.  A 
small  tax  is  levied  on  all  personal  property,  such  as 
domestic  animals,  household  goods,  and  grain  that  is 
stored.  There  is  no  income  tax  as  far  as  money  is 
concerned,  but  a  part  of  the  products  of  the  field 
must  always  be  turned  over.  Such  a  system  encour- 
ages graft,  oppression,  and  dishonesty,  and  must 
give  way  to  the  better  and  more  modern  plan  of  col- 
lecting the  taxes  of  the  country. 

This  system  of  administration  carries  with  it  the 
right  to  imprison  for  debt,  while  the  delinquents 
may  be  publicly  whipped.  To  escape  this,  the  peas- 
ants often  take  refuge  in  the  mosques  and  other 
sacred  places.  This  idea  of  refuge  is  more  fully 
taken  up  in  a  subsequent  chapter,  touching  upon  the 
establishment  of  the  Constitution.     It  is  the  most 


PERSIAN    GOVERNMENT     899 

effective  wcapor        "'ersian  people  have  with  which 
to  meet  oppressioi.. 

It  is  too  soon  now  to  say  what  changes  in  this 
ancient  and  historic  government  will  be  wrought,  if 
any,  by  another  National  Assembly.  It  is  a  matter, 
obviously,  of  great  interest  to  everybody,  but  we 
must  not  expect  too  much  from  such  a  legislative 
b(xly,  in  view  of  recent  happenings.  There  are 
strong  men  in  Persia  in  full  sympathy  with  this 
parliament  idea  and  there  are  strong  men  who  are 
not.  But  the  step  has  been  taken,  and  the  nation  is 
committed  to  it,  and  it  is  hard  to  see  how  the  reac- 
tion that  is  bound  to  come  can  carry  them  back  to 
the  former  regime.  Strong  men  will  be  found  in 
the  future  to  deal  with  these  new  problems,  just  as 
they  have  been  dealt  with  in  the  past.  Changes  and 
reforms  are  needed,  but  they  must  be  inaugurated 
slowly  and  carefully  by  the  friends  of  Persia,  and 
this  seems  to  be  what  is  taking  place  at  the  present 
time. 


*r 


I 


XVII 

THE   ASSASSINATION  OF  NASR-ED-DIN 
SHAH 

MAY-DAY,  1896,  in  the  Persian  capital, 
was  bright  and  warm.  The  city  was  pre- 
paring for  the  celebration  of  the  golden 
jubilee  of  the  Shah,  which  was  to  have  begun  five 
days  later.  The  caravansaries  and  bazaars  were 
filled  with  strangers,  who  had  come  from  every  part 
of  the  empire  to  join  in  the  coming  festivities;  and 
the  magnificent  parks  and  gardens  of  the  city,  as  if 
to  give  them  a  more  hearty  welcome,  had  put  on 
their  richest  and  l)rightest  colours.  On  every  hand 
were  evidences  of  the  coming  celebration,  and  the 
heartiness  with  which  all  entered  into  the  joy  of  the 
event  was  cordial  enough  to  warm  the  heart  of  any 
ruler.  The  day  being  fine,  the  king,  with  the  prime 
minister  and  other  high  officials,  had  driven  nut  to 
tlie  shrine  of  the  Shah-Abdul-Azim.  and  at  noon 
entered  the  mosque  for  prayer.  In  order  to  get  into 
the  inner,  or  more  sacred  part,  of  the  mosque,  it  was 
necessary  to  pass  through  a  narrow  hallway  or  pas- 
sage, some  ten  or  twelve  feet  long.  As  the  Shah 
came  out  of  this  passage,  he  was  met  by  an  assassin, 

800 


i; 


NASK-Kl)-mX    SHAH. 
Grandfather    of    present    ruler.     Assassinated    -May    i,    lyoo,    after    a    reign 

of  tiftj-  years. 


SHAH    ASSASSINATED 


SOI 


dressed  in  the  attire  of  a  Persian  woman,  with  a 
large  revolver  hidden  beneath  what  appeared  to  be 
a  letter  of  communication,  which  the  king  evidently 
thought  he  desired  to  present.  Drawing  near,  the 
man  suddenly  threw  aside  the  paper  covering  the 
weapon,  and  fired  one  shot,  when  he  was  caught  by 
the  guard,  who  prevented  further  bloodshed.  The 
Shah  made  an  attempt  to  walk  away,  but  had  taken 
only  a  step  or  two  when  he  fell  unconscious,  gasping 
for  breath. 

His  Highness,  the  Sadr-Azam,  was  soon  at  his 
side,  and  never  did  a  man  display  cooler  judgment 
under  trying  circumstances  than  did  this  Prime 
Minister.  Not  knowing  who  was  in  the  plot,  or 
whether  he  would  or  would  not  be  the  next  victim, 
he  quietly  gave  out  that  the  Shah  had  only  received 
a  flesh-wound,  and  sent  for  surgical  aid. 

At  his  direction,  the  wounded  king  was  seated 
in  a  closed  carriage,  with  a  man  at  his  side  to  keep 
him  from  falling ;  and  orders  were  given  to  drive  as 
quickly  as  possible  to  the  Palace  in  the  city.  One  of 
the  messengers  sent  for  medical  aid  came  over  to 
the  mission  hospital  and  hurriedly  told  us  what  had 
happened.  Entering  a  carriage  with  him,  we  started 
for  the  scene  of  the  tragedy,  but  had  not  gone  far 
when  we  met  the  royal  cavalcade  returning  to  the 
city.  As  the  king's  carriage  passed  us.  we  saw  the 
Shah,  pale  and  evidently  dangerously  wounded, 
propped  up  in  the  seat  of  the  carriage,  while  the 
Prime  Minister  was  sitting  in  front  of  him  fanning 


J4 


30«    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

him,  and  seemingly  in  conversation  with  him.  It 
was  a  clever  dereption,  intended  to  deceive  the  pop- 
ulace, and  the  effect  was  all  that  would  have  been 
desired. 

The  cavalcade  consisted  of  a  number  of  carriages, 
and  perhaps  one  thousand  mounted  police,  and  they 
were  driving  furiously.  Quickly  turning  our  team 
about,  we  joined  the  company,  and  hurried  to  the 
Palace.  Here  we  found  His  Majesty's  able  and 
faithful  physician,  who,  like  us,  turned  and  joined 
in  the  cavalcade.  The  king  was  lifted  into  a  chair 
and  carried  into  one  of  the  rooms,  just  off  the  Grand 
Audience-Chamber.  As  we  lifted  him  from  the 
chair  to  the  lounge,  we  saw  that  it  was  too  late  for 
medical  aid  to  be  of  any  avail.  An  examination  of 
the  wound  showed,  as  stated  in  the  official  announce- 
ment of  his  death  to  the  public,  that  the  ball  had 
pierced  the  heart,  and  consequently  his  death  must 
have  followed  quickly. 

Coming  just  before  the  jubilee  celebiation,  the 
visit  to  the  shrine  had  been  a  semi-official  one,  and 
the  Shah  had  on  many  of  his  jewels.  The  room  in 
which  he  lay  was  built  by  some  of  the  former  rulers, 
the  ceiling  and  walls  being  covered  with  mirrors  set 
in  plaster-of-Paris.  The  bright  afternoon  sun 
poured  into  the  room,  and  the  thousand  mirrors 
seemed  to  reflect  their  bright  rays  down  upon  the 
body  of  the  dead  king.  All  about  us  were  the  costly, 
luxurious  furnishings  of  the  palace.  It  was  a  pic- 
ture for  an  artist,  a  theme  for  the  philosopher;  but 


SHAH    ASSASSINATED 


303 


to  us  who  stood  there  that  afternoon  it  was  an  awful 
reality,  for  we  realised  what  Persia  had  lost. 

For  reasons  of  state  it  was  not  given  out  until  the 
next  day  that  the  king  was  dead,  although  it  was 
generally  known  that  he  had  been  shot.  In  the 
meantime,  the  Crown  Prince  was  notified,  and  His 
Highness  the  Sadi--Azam  was  appointed  regent  until 
the  new  king  arrived  in  Teheran  from  Tabriz.  The 
day  following  the  assassination,  in  all  the  mosques 
and  from  all  the  housetops  the  Crown  Prince 
Muzaffar-ed-Din  Mirza  was  proclaimed  Shah  of 
Shahs,  and  the  people  were  urged  by  the  mollahs  to 
assist  in  keeping  order. 

The  assassin  was  at  once  arrested,  the  guards 
thinking  the  deed  had  been  done  by  a  woman,  and 
their  surprise  and  astonishment  can  well  be  imag- 
ined when  the  removal  of  the  veil  and  chuddar 
showed  their  prisoner  to  be  a  man.  He  was  a  well- 
known  person  about  town,  and  had  always  been  con- 
sidered a  crank.  He  had  been  arrested  some  two 
years  before  and  thrown  into  prison  for  some  petty 
crime,  but,  being  considered  of  unsound  nrind,  was 
liberated.  Since  then  he  had  been  in  Constantinople, 
and  claimed  to  have  been  a  follower  of  one  Jamel-ed- 
Din,  a  notorious  political  agitator.  At  least,  some- 
thing further  disturbed  his  already  unbalanced  mind 
until  he  was  led  to  commit  this  crime.  It  may  be  that 
he  was  simply  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  othets.  He 
was  thrown  into  prison  to  remain  until  the  arrival 
of  the  new  Shah,  who  had  him  executed.     He  said 


'it 


III 

M 


804    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

that  he  was  glad  that  he  committed  the  deed,  and 
that  his  only  regret  was  that  the  guard  had  pre- 
vented him  from  taking  his  own  life.  By  the  super- 
stitious, it  has  been  noted,  that  according  to  the  Per- 
sian calendar  it  was  the  year  13 13. 

The  reign  of  Nasr-ed-Din  Shah  was  a  long  and 
beneficent  one.  Assuming  the  duties  of  his  high 
office  when  a  mere  lad,  he  displayed  unusual  ability, 
which  increased  with  years.  He  thoroughly  under- 
stood his  subjects,  and  the  profound  sorrow  ex- 
pressed by  all  at  his  tragic  death  gave  a  touching 
manifestation  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held 
by  all.  To  the  foreigner  sojourning  in  Persia,  he 
offered  every  possible  protection,  and  it  is  only  jus- 
tice to  say  that,  while  so-called  newspaper  enterprise 
in  America  was  circulating  for  the  amusement  of 
the  public  all  sorts  of  silly  stories  about  him  person- 
ally, he  was  treating  the  American  in  Persia  as  his 
guest.  It  would  have  been  easy  for  him  to  have 
retaliated,  but.  instead,  this  generous  treatment  con- 
tinued until  his  death. 

Although  he  had  been  three  times  in  Europe, 
spoke  and  read  French  fairly  well,  had  written  sev- 
eral books  on  his  travels  and  experiences,  and  could 
draw  and  paint  some,  he  was  thoroughly  an  Ori- 
ental. He  loved  the  chase,  and  his  character  seemed 
to  partake  of  the  ruggedness  of  his  surroundings. 
He  soon  tired  of  the  town  and  his  palaces,  and  was 
never  happier  than  when  tenting  in  the  fastness  of 
the  mountain,  or  in  the  forest  of  Mazanderan.  Often 


SHAH   ASSASSINATED 


305 


in  midwinter,  when  the  snow  was  at  its  deepest,  and 
the  weather  was  as  bad  as  it  could  well  be,  he  would 
leave  his  comfortable  fireside  for  a  week's  shooting 
in  the  valley  of  the  Jarge  Rud  River.  Though  his 
manner  was  blunt  and  gruff,  there  was  a  kindness 
that  shone  through  it.  If  any  of  his  numerous 
household  were  ill,  he  took  a  personal  interest  in  see- 
ing that  they  had  every  possible  attention. 

But  it  was  as  a  ruler  and  diplomatist  that  he  dis- 
played the  greatest  ability.  While  Turkey  on  the 
west,  and  Afghanistan  on  the  east,  were  often  the 
scene  of  political  disturbances,  Persia  moved  peace- 
fully forward.  With  Russia  encroaching  on  the 
north,  and  England  not  unmindful  of  her  own  inter- 
ests on  the  south,  it  took  a  clear  head  to  steer  the 
ship  of  state  off  the  shoals.  In  the  Provinces  he 
kept  order,  and  while  in  Asiatic  Turkey  a  traveller 
was  never  safe  without  a  guard,  the  banks  of  Per- 
sia were  constantly  sending  by  pack-mules  to  the 
provinces  thousands  of  tomans  of  coin,  without  a 
single  guard.  He  extended  the  same  protection  to 
his  Christian  subjects  that  was  given  to  the  Moham- 
medans, and  it  may  well  be  remarked  that  while  in 
the  Sultan's  empire  the  Armenians  were  being  mas- 
sacred by  the  thousands,  the  Kurds  of  Persian  Kur- 
distan were  compelled  to  keep  order. 

It  was  during  his  reign  that  diplomatic  relations 
were  established  between  the  United  States  and  Per- 
sia. The  first  Minister  arrived  in  Teheran  in  June, 
1883,  bearing  the  title  of  Minister-Resident  and 


1 1I 


ii 


806    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

Consul-General.  This  has  since  been  changed  to 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  and  Envoy  Extraordinary. 
From  1835  to  1883  the  interests  of  American  citi- 
zens were  cared  for  by  France,  Russia,  and  Great 
Britain.  It  is  to  the  latter  power  that  American  cit- 
izens, next  to  their  own  government,  owe  most. 
Whenever  needed,  English  diplomatic  and  consular 
officers  have  offered  to  American  citizens  the  same 
aid  and  protection  that  were  given  to  their  own 
subjects. 

The  establishment  of  an  American  Legation  in 
Teheran  naturally  directed  the  attention  of  the  Court 
to  the  United  States.  The  first  Minister,  Mr.  S.  G. 
W.  Benjamin,  was  able  to  secure  for  American  cit- 
izens some  valuable  concessions,  which,  if  the  con- 
cessionaries had  been  able  financially  to  carry  for- 
ward, might  have  resulted  profitably.  There  have 
been  sent  to  Persia  during  the  past  twenty-five  years 
eleven  American  Ministers,  Messrs.  Benjamin, 
Pratt,  Hardy,  Bowen,  Griscom,  and  Jackson  all 
having  rendered  especially  valuable  and  acceptable 
service  to  American  interests. 


XVIII 


I 


MUZAFFAR-ED-DIN  SHAH,  AND  THE 
CONSTITUTION 

MUZAFFAR-ED-DIN,  the  new  Shah,  was 
born  March  20,  1853,  his  mother  being 
the  "  Royal  wife."  His  father,  using 
his  prescriptive  right  to  appoint  a  successor,  nomi- 
nated him  his  heir,  ahhough  the  Zil-e-Sultan,  later 
governor  of  Ispahan,  was  the  eldest  son  of  the  late 
king.  His  mother,  however,  was  not  the  so-called 
"  Royal  wi  fe,"  and  so  the  throne  went  to  his  half- 
brother,  who  was  given  the  title  of  Muzaflfar-ed- 
Din.  For  many  years  there  was  a  dangerous  rivalry 
between  these  two  brothers,  but,  as  years  passed  by, 
it  disappeared  in  a  large  measure,  although  prob- 
ably not  entirely. 

The  Crown  Prince  is  never  allowed  to  remain 
in  Teheran,  but  is  made  governor  of  the  prov- 
ince of  Azerbaijan,  with  residence  at  Tabriz. 
Here  the  new  Shah  had  been  sent  when  a  lad 
and  put  under  the  care  of  a  Minister  of  Court, 
who  was  practically  the  governor.  For  thirty  years 
this  arrangement  continued,  the  Minister  of  Court 
changing,  but  the  young  governor  not  being  allowed 
to  leave  the  post,  except  by  consent  of  his  royal 

307 


r! 


I 


-1 ! 


ill 


i  ;i 


i   if 


808    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

father.  Tabriz,  while  being  -.ext  to  Teheran  the 
largest  and  most  important  city  in  the  kingdom,  can 
hardly  be  said  to  be  a  place  for  the  education  of  a 
future  sovereign.  And  yet  the  new  king  was  not 
without  a  certain  dignity,  and  had  many  liberal  and 
broad  ideas  for  his  people.  While  he  was  governor 
at  Tabriz,  he  had  for  some  years  an  American  phy- 
sician, in  Dr.  George  W.  Holmes,  a  man  peculiarly 
fitted  as  a  doctor  and  adviser  to  the  Prince.  Dr. 
Holmes  declined  the  post  of  one  of  the  Covirt  phy- 
sicians when  Muzaffar-ed-Din  ascended  the  throne, 
preferring  to  return  to  his  medical  missionary 
labours.  The  influence  of  those  years  upon  the 
Heir-Apparent,  exercised  by  the  good  American 
physician,  engendered  a  love  for  the  New  World  in 
the  heart  of  the  Prince  that  remained  until  his  dying 
day.  The  writer  remembers  on  more  than  one  occa- 
sion when  Muzaffar-ed-Din  was  on  his  deathbed, 
long  after  Dr.  Holmes  had  withdrawn  from  Persia 
on  account  of  ill  health,  how  the  mention  of  Dr. 
Holmes's  name  brought  cheer  and  stimulus  to  the 
invalid. 

The  new  Shah  was  declared  king  in  Tabriz  imme- 
diately after  the  death  of  his  father  was  confirmed. 
But  as  Tabriz  lies  many  miles  to  the  west  of  Tehe- 
ran, he  did  not  arrive  at  the  Capital  until  Sunday, 
June  the  seventh.  The  following  day  he  was  for- 
mally inaugurated  into  his  high  office,  and  immedi- 
ately afterward  he  received  the  diplomatic  corps. 
Although  the  ordeal  was  a  trying  one  for  one  who 


n 


Ml/  Mil  K  JK-DIX. 

Tlic    lati-    Shall.    Imtii    Ar.u         Ji,    iS.vi.    sue, ,  i  ,1,,|     \|,,y    i.     iS.ri.    ■'•   .n    the 

l~«a>.>ill.ili.iii     Ml     l;s     i.illi.T,     \n>ra-.|l>;n.       Uii.l     Tai:  :  ii  v     .,.      pj    - 


I;  I 


'■    i\ 


M  U  Z  A  F  F  A  U  -  E  D  -  D I  N 


809 


III  I  Ik  'ii-.\-;,r( 

II  :    ftlV'M  ii 

an   '''\  .ntl.'.r 
i!u-  iiai'-.rtz- 


had  never  been  beyond  the  boundaries  of  his  own 
country,  yet  I  remetnber  as  a  sixctatoi  iH  what 
dignity  and  ease  he  received  the  various  Ministers 
accredited  to  his  country. 

Immediately  after  the  ina«j,'uration  of  His 
Majesty,  the  Court  withdrew  to  the  country  seat  of 
V  ,  eran,  remaining  out  of  the  city  until  autumn. 
'"'ii  asspe  '"n  of  the  late  Shah  was  held  in  prison 
u'  ii  III  in  ,  gust,  when  he  was  publicly  hanged 
ids  in  the  centre  of  the  town, 
iceivable,  indeed  it  is  not  likely  that 
even  thought  of  it,  that  the  act  of 
man  was  the  match  by  which  a  fire 
\v  r^  Si  I  hniTiir^j  that  was  destined  to  sweep  over  the 
vvi'>)lf  ''try  and  end  only  when  a  constitution  had 
'  ,'iveii  »f  the  people.  If  time  were  measured  by 
ciiaiige  and  events,  the  ten  years  of  Muzaflfar-ed- 
Din's  administration  would  be  longer  than  the  hun- 
dred preceding  years.  The  Court  party  grew  more 
and  more  cornipt  and  avaricious,  with  the  logical 
result  that  the  treasury  was  soon  depleted.  Even 
the  gold  plate  was  taken  from  the  chairs  and  other 
articles  in  the  Royal  Museum  and  sold.  The  system 
of  graft  that  was  established  was  without  parallel, 
and  men  who  were  a  few  years  before  working  for 
fifty  dollars  per  month  now  lived  in  palaces.  A 
noted  example  of  this  was  one  of  the  Court  doctors. 
He  came  to  Tehei  ..'.  with  the  king  penniless,  and 
when  he  died,  seven  ^  ears  later,  his  estate  was  worth 
over  half  a  million. 


<i       i 


310    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


After  the  country  had  been  thoroughly  drained 
by  the  Court  party,  ihey  succeeded  in  getting  a  loan 
from  Russia,  mortgaging  the  receipts  of  the  custom- 
house for  a  period  of  years.  A  considerable  num- 
ber of  Europeans  were  employed  in  the  posts  and 
customs,  and,  had  it  not  been  for  them,  the  country 
would  have  gone  into  absolute  bankruptcy,  although 
many  of  these  unquestionably  drew  salaries  that  no 
Western  government  would  think  of  paying  for  a 
similar  service. 

In  the  meantime,  the  king  had  developed  a  serious 
illness  and  had  to  go  to  Europe  to  consult  specialists. 
It  would  have  been  far  cheaper  and  better  had  the 
specialists  been  brought  to  Teheran  and  His  Majesty 
saved  the  long  and  hard  journey  to  Europe.  As 
the  time  approached  for  these  European  tours,  the 
number  of  illnesses  that  had  developed  in  the  Court 
requiring  European  specialists  was  appalling,  since 
it  had  been  given  out  that  those  accompanying  Ilis 
Majesty  were  to  have  all  their  expenses  paid  and 
salaries  continued.  One  young  prince  told  me  this 
story : 

"  I  was  very  anxious  to  see  something  of  the 
colossal  mechanism  of  life  in  Europe,  and  so  I 
applied  for  permission  to  accompany  His  Majesty 
as  a  member  of  his  suite,  but  was  told  that  the  party 
was  already  too  large,  and  I  could  not  go.  After 
the  king  had  gone,  this  longing  for  travel  became 
intolerable  and  prevented  me  from  sleeping.  I  then 
informed  my  mother,  who  furnished  me  with  funds. 


MUZAFFAR-ED-DIN 


311 


When  I  arrived  in  Paris,  I  found  my  friends  there 
and  some  enemies,  too,  for  some  one  informed  the 
Shah  of  my  presence  in  the  retinue.  His  Majesty 
at  once  sent  for  me  and  demanded  why  I  had  come, 
after  being  refused  permission  to  accompany  the 
royal  party.  What  could  I  do  but  tell  him  that  I. 
too,  was  ill?  At  this  his  face  softened  with  a  bland 
smile  of  incredulity  and  he  inquired  the  nature  of 
my  malady.  I  told  him  that  I  had  been  advised  to 
undergo  a  serious  surgical  operation  that  could  only 
be  performed  in  Paris !  At  which,  with  much  ^"ra- 
ciousness,  he  insisted  upon  paying  the  bill.  Again 
what  could  I  do,  for  I  had  nc  thought  of  going  to  a 
surgeon,  and,  as  for  hospitals,  the  very  smell  of 
them  always  made  me  sick.  The  cold  sweat  stood 
out  on  my  forehead  when  he  told  his  scribe  to  write 
a  line  in  French  to  a  leading  surgeon  in  Paris,  and. 
turning  to  me  with  the  note,  said  stcrnlv.  '  IJrinir  me 
thedoctor's  reply.'  I  did  have  a  little  trouble,  but 
which  my  doctor  here  thought  required  no  treat- 
ment, much  less  surgical  interference,  yet  I  feared 
to  see  the  surgeon  lest  he  might  advise  an  operation. 
Now  that  the  Shah  had  asked  him  to  examine  mc.  I 
felt  sure  as  to  the  result.  Nor  was  I  mistaken  in 
my  surmise,  for  the  next  day  at  ten  o'clock  I  awoke 
from  the  ether  suffering  terribly,  a  Sister  of  Charity 
was  sjxaking  to  me  in  French,  which  I  did  not 
understand,  and  niv  Iiead  ached  almost  to  burst iuL' 
from  the  horrid  smells.  I  had  been  operated  upon! 
As  soon  as  1  was  able  to  travel  I  was  bundled  up 


;*   -i 


<  )i 


812     TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

and  sent  back  to  Persia.  Since  then,  my  sleeping 
hours  have  never  been  disturbed  by  the  desire  for 
travel." 

Muzaffar-ed-Din,  during  the  first  year  of  his 
reign,  appointed   Emin-ed-Dovleh,  in  many  ways 
tlie  ablest  man  in  Persia,  to  tlie  post  of  prime  min- 
ister.    This  gentleman  was  the  best  educated  and 
most  cultivated  of  any  of  the  gentry,  and  what  is 
even  better — a  true  patriot.     Had  it  not  been  for 
his  foresight  in  reorganising  the  customs  and  posts, 
and  thus  saving  the  revcnnes  of  the  countr)',  disaster 
would  have  soon  overtak,  i  the  administration.    But 
his  methods,  intended  for  the  country's  good,  natu- 
rally did  not  suit  the  Court  party,  who  were  anxious 
for  their  own  interests;  hence,  in  less  than  a  year, 
he  was  deposed  from  office  and  spent  the  remaining 
days  of  his  life  away  from  the  Capital.    The  writer 
knew  him  personally,  having  lived  for  several  years 
in  an  adjoining  compound,  and.  in  recalling  many 
conversations  witii  him.  I  can  hardly  remember  one 
in  which  he  did  not  express  the  wish  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  his  country.     Every  sort  of  interest, 
having  for  a  purpose  the  betterment  of  the  country 
and  its  people,  could  depend  upon  him  as  a  staunch 
supporter.     In  his  death,  caused  by  disappointment 
and  exile,  Persia  lost  a  wise  statesman  and  a  true 
patriot,  and  at  an  hour  when  her  stock  was  rapidly 
declining  and  when   she   needed   such   as  he  the 
most. 

The  king's  health  continued  to  grow  worse,  and 


MUZAFFAR-ED-DIN 


313 


the  political  horizon  was  darkened  with  many 
clouds.  Secret  societies  were  being  formed,  where 
political  questions  were  said  to  be  discussed,  and 
wliich  the  arm  of  the  central  government  seemed 
impotent  to  put  down.  The  situation  was  not  im- 
proved by  changes  in  the  Ministry,  while  the  unrest 
was  made  worse  by  the  shortness  of  grain  and  the 
high  price  of  bread.  Cholera  also  appeared  and  car- 
ried off  thousands  of  victims.  At  this  psychological 
moment,  in  the  summer  of  1906,  the  officials  under- 
took to  arrest  a  Mohammedan  priest,  who  did  not 
hesitate  to  proclaim  his  political  views,  but  who. 
very  unwisely,  in  his  public  remarks  attacked  certain 
high  officials,  instead  of  the  system  that  made  mis- 
government  possible.  When  the  officers  came  to 
arrest  him,  his  followers  resisted  the  police  and  res- 
cued him  from  them.  The  soldiers  were  then  called 
in,  and  in  the  riot  that  followed  a  number  of  citizens 
were  killed,  among  them  a  sayid.  This  greatly 
aroused  the  people,  and  the  bloody  shirt  of  the 
sayid  was  carried  through  the  streets,  but  the  gov- 
ernment, now  having  matters  well  in  hand,  pre- 
vented further  bloodshed. 

The  bazaars  were  then  closed,  and  the  people 
adopted  the  plan  of  taking  bast  in  the  British  Lega- 
tion, a  sort  of  passive  resistance.  The  word  bast  is 
from  bastaii.  which  means  to  tie,  but  in  this  sense  is 
used  to  designate  a  custom  wherein  any  one  hav- 
ing a  grie'^ance,  by  taking  refuge  on  the  premises 
of  a  nobleman,  may  demand  that  the  nobleman  shall 


I   , 


ui 


314    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

take  up  his  cause,  as  though  the  bastcc  were  one  of 
his  own  household.  If  the  police  want  him,  they 
mus\  starve  him  out.  There  was  a  man  who  sat 
for  eight  years  in  one  of  the  legations  in  Telieran 
patiently  awaiting  the  settlement  of  a  small  claim 
that  he  had  against  the  Persian  Government.  Min- 
isters came  and  went,  but  he  stayed  on.  At  last  his 
claim  was  paid,  and  he  died  celebrating  his  victory! 
Few  of  the  legations  there  would  have  the  courage 
to  put  a  man  out,  as  it  would  bring  down  no  small 
amount  of  opprobrium  upon  them. 

At  the  period  of  this  political  crisis,  every  shop 
in  the  great  bazaar  in  Teheran  was  closed,  and  be- 
tween fifteen  and  twenty  thousand  men,  merchants, 
artisans,  and  some  priests,  went  into  the  English 
Legation  and  inforrned  the  acting  Minister,  who  at 
the  time  was  away  at  his  country  seat,  that  they 
were  there  to  remain  until  the  English  Government 
took  up  their  case  with  the  Persian  Government. 
Every  line  of  business  in  Teheran  was  tied  up  by 
the  strike,  only  the  mails  and  the  butcher  and  the 
baker  were  not  interfered  with.  A  half-ton  of 
bread  was  required  daily  to  feed  the  crowds,  and  all 
(la\  long  thousands  read  the  Koran  and  appealed  to 
Allah  for  help.  A  long-suffering  and  down-trodden 
people  had  surprised  the  world  by  suddenly  awak- 
ening. At  first,  their  demands  were  confined  to  re- 
forms, looking  to  the  lowering  of  the  price  of  bread 
and  meat,  and  tiie  lessening  of  graft  in  public  office. 
For  some  time  the  Shah  knew  nothing  of  the  true 


ri\  i;  I  iKMs.wh  pKiKsrs.  \iiU(ii\\is.  \\i>  mmis.ws 
M\KriiiN(;  Id  rill  nuiiisii  i,i;<,\  i  ii>\.  tiiiikw.  ior 
KKiiiii:     \T     rill,    i!ii,i\\i\t,    (11     I'i;k>i  \  s    roiiiuM 

l'l«HI!|   l-.S.      |\       ,,j,,„. 


MUZAFFAR-ED-DIN 


815 


situation,  being  ill  at  one  of  his  country  seats.  When 
the  facts  were  made  known  to  him,  he  at  once  dis- 
missed Emin-ed-Dovleh,  the  Prime  Minister,  and 
with  that  sincere  desire  to  please  his  constituency 
which  was  marked  by  almost  every  act,  even  to  the 
point  of  weakness,  he  sent  for  the  leaders  of  the 
Revolution  for  consultation.  But  Japan's  victories 
in  the  far  East  had  been  felt  throughout  Asia,  and 
during  the  weeks  spent  in  bast  by  the  revolutionists 
it  had  been  decided  that  no  permanent  benefit  could 
result  from  their  efforts,  unless  they  were  given  a 
voice  in  governmental  affairs.  At  first,  it  was  pro- 
posed to  organise  an  advisory  council,  but  later  they 
determined  to  strike  for  a  constitutional  form  of 
government,  with  a  Parliament  or  National  Assem- 
bly. The  day  for  a  half-loaf  had  passed,  and  the 
Shah  and  his  advisers  were  glad  to  accede  to  the  de- 
mands of  the  people.  A  committee  was  appointed  to 
prepare  a  temporary  constitution,  the  Shah  having 
promised  that  he  would  officially  declare  it,  which 
he  did  later.  Tiie  i)eople  who  had  taken  refuge  in 
the  British  Legation  returned  to  their  homes,  and 
business  moved  quietly  on  as  before.  It  is  worthy 
of  remark  here  that  all  had  been  accomplished  with- 
out the  firing  of  a  gun  or  the  loss  of  a  single  life, 
except  in  the  riots  on  the  first  day  of  the  disturb- 
ances. Similar  scenes  have  taken  place  at  all  the 
larger  towns  throughout  the  country  without  great 
bloodshed. 

At  noon,  on  October  seventh,  at  Teheran,  the 


316    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 


NaiiDiial  Assembly  was  inaugurated.  The  week  be- 
fore, throughout  the  various  provinces  oi  the  king- 
dom, the  first  election  in  Persia  had  been  held,  but, 
in  a  land  where  railroads  are  unkn<nvn,  only  those 
delegates  chosen  from  the  districts  in  and  about 
Teheran  were  present.  The  diplomatic  corps  were 
invited,  and  most  of  them  were  present.  There  was 
not  a  little  complaint,  however,  because  they  were 
placed  in  a  room  overlooking  the  garden,  where 
there  was  little  to  see,  and  where  there  was  not  much 
in  evidence.  It  was  Persia's  day.  and  the  Reform 
party  wanted  it  understood  that  the  Irancc,  and  not 
the  Frangcc,  was  in  charge  of  affairs.  The  cere- 
monies took  place  in  the  Palace  grounds  amid  the 
roar  of  tlie  artillery,  the  noise  of  a  half-dozen  brass 
bands,  and  the  usual  amount  of  display.  Every  one 
seemed  happy,  save  one — the  Shah.  The  latter 
seemed  to  care  little  what  happened,  as  he  sat  at  an 
upper  window  of  the  Palace  in  a  large  arm-chair. 
As  he  looked  out  on  the  crowd  l)elow.  his  anxious, 
ana'tnic  face  told  of  the  physical  suffering  he  had 
endured  from  the  disease  that  was  slowly  taking  his 
life.  His  hands,  more  like  wax  than  flesh,  had 
signed  the  decree  that  was  to  change  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  government.  Doubtless  he  shared  the  feel- 
ing of  the  Court,  as  expressed  to  the  writer  by  one 
of  the  leading  generals  in  the  Guards,  when  he  said : 
"  The  glory  of  the  empire  founded  by  Cyrus,  son 
of  Cambyses.  is  departed."  On  the  Friday  before 
there  had  been  a  consultation  of  physicians  to  deter- 


M  U  Z  A  F  F  A  R  -  E  D  -  D  I  N 


317 


mine  whether  the  Sliah  had  strength  to  endure  the 
strain  of  the  opening  day  of  the  Assembly, 

No  onf  conld  Hud  fault  with  the  Sfieech  from  the 
Throne.  Afterwards,  the  si)eech  was  photographed 
(no  one  is  trusted  in  Persia),  and  later  it  was  litho- 
graplied  and  sold  in  the  streets.  The  sjieech  was  in 
part  as  follows :  "  Praise  l)e  to  the  Almighty.  That 
which  wc  have  had  in  mind  for  years  has,  by  the  aid 
of  Go<l,  come  to  pass,  and  we  rejoice  that  our  efforts 
are  about  to  bear  fruition  by  the  inauguration  of  this 
National  Assembly.  To-day.  it  is  indeed  an  auspi- 
cious occasion,  for  this  event  will  uniti  more  closely 
the  Government  with  the  ])eoi)le  (Millctt).  The  in- 
auguration of  this  Assembly  is  a  public  necessity, 
its  purposes  being  to  assist  in  executing  the  duties 
which  until  now  have  had  to  be  carried  on  by  the 
King.  The  vario"«  Ministers  of  State,  heads  of 
departments,  gentry  and  nobility,  tradesmen  and  the 
general  public  are  united  by  the  events  of  to-day  in 
the  responsibilities  of  the  execution  of  righteous  laws 
and  the  introduction  of  reforms.  With  these  pur- 
poses in  view,  it  is  evident  that  there  will  be  no  place 
fitr  .selfish  interest,  especially  covetousness.  .  .  , 
It  is  evident  that  none  of  you  were  elected  except 
for  your  talents  and  good  characters,  which  are  sup- 
posed to  exceed  those  of  the  general  public,  and  so 
let  me  admonish  you  to  .ndd  to  these  qualities  wis- 
dom and  disinterestedness.  Put  your  feet  into  the 
path  of  duty,  and  continue  therein  to  the  end.  re- 
membering that,  as  the  conduct  of  the  child  reflects 


818    TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

the  training  given  by  the  parent,  so  our  Nation's 
prosperity  "r  adversity  will  reflect  your  prudence 
and  wisdon  .  Until  now  your  interests  were  per- 
sonal, but  to  lay  they  are  those  of  the  Nation.  So 
lal)our  that  you  will  not  be  answerable  for  wrong- 
doing unto  God,  or  be  ashamed  in  our  presence.  God 
is  the  keen  observe  of  our  efforts  and  ever-ready 
to  defend  you  in  well-doing.  .  .  .  God  be  with 
you.  Go  and  perform  faithfully  your  duties,  for 
which  you  will  be  answerable." 

Since  the  preceding  spring,  when  His  Majesty 
had  suflferc('  from  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  he  had  been 
confined  most  of  the  time  to  his  room,  and  really 
knew  little  of  what  was  going  on  outside  of  the  Pal- 
ace grounds,  the  Mochir-ed-Dovleh,  a  most  excellent 
man.  being  in  a  large  measure  responsible  for  gov- 
ernmental aflfairs.  As  the  winter  advanced,  the 
Shah  grew  steadily  worse;  a  consuUing  staff  of  local 
physicians  was  organisetl  to  assist  the  attending  doc- 
tors. Later,  the  well-known  sjiecialist.  Professor 
Dainscli,  of  Gottingen,  was  called.  While  the  life 
of  the  royal  patient  was  prolonged  several  months 
by  these  efforts,  the  cause  of  the  trouble,  Bright's 
disease,  could  not  be  cured,  and  the  end  came  slowly 
and  peacefully  in  the  early  days  of  the  new  year. 


XIX 

MOHAMMED   ALI   MIRZA,  SHAH,  AND 
POLITICAL    REFORMS  IN   PERSIA 

JANUARY  ninth  dawned  bright  and  warm  in 
Teheran,  and  as  men  hurried  to  tlieir  places 
of  business,  they  hardly  stoppetl  when  told 
that  during  the  night  their  king  had  died.  "  The 
King  is  dead,  long  live  the  King!  "  seemed  to  be  the 
sentiment  of  nearly  all  classes,  the  scene  presenting 
on  every  hand  that  of  (|uiet  relief.  For  many  weeks 
the  Ishah  had  Ijeen  known  to  be  hopelessly  ill,  and 
precautions  had  wisely  been  taken  to  jjreserve  order. 
This  foresight  discounted  the  danger.  About  the 
only  thing  unusual  to  l)e  observed  on  that  memorable 
morning,  was  the  presence  of  a  few  companies  of 
gendarmes  patrolling  the  streets,  and  an  unusual 
number  of  carriages  of  grandees  in  the  Avenue  of 
the  .Ambassadors,  hastening  early  in  the  morning  to 
the  palace.  The  official  announcement  merely 
stated :  "  The  King  of  Kings  now  rests  with  his 
fathers."  At  the  Palace  everything  was  quiet.  The 
curtain  had  simply  been  drawn.  Everything  jxjs- 
sible  for  human  hands  to  do  had  been  done  by 
His  Majesty's  untiring  physicians  and  faithful 
attendants. 


MicRoconr  resmution  test  chart 

(ANSI  ond  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


If  i^  m 
1^  1^ 


1^ 

■  40 


2.0 


1.8 


^    r^PPUEDJVMGE 


'653   East    Mam    Street 

Rochester,   Ne«    rorj.         U6C9       USA 

("6)  482  -  0300  -  Phone 

(716)  288-  5989  -  Fo« 


320 


TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


Owing  to  the  disturbed  condition  of  the  country, 
many  expected  the  lawless  element  to  create  serious 
disturbances,  and  this  feeling  was  shared  at  not  a 
few  of  the  legations.  The  New  York  Herald  and 
some  of  the  London  papers  had  special  correspond- 
ents on  the  spot,  but  they  had  little  to  write.  No 
official  bulletins  were  issued  during  the  Shah's  ill- 
ness, but  for  those  seeking  news  this  difficulty  was 
easily  overcome. 

The  general  order  that  prevailed  in  Teheran  and 
throughout  the  country  during  the  change  in  admin- 
istration spoke  well  for  the  peace-loving  qualities  of 
the  Persian  people,  as  well  as  for  the  cleverness  of 
those  in  authority.  The  Crown  Prince  had  come 
on  from  Tabriz  and  was  ready  to  take  over  the 
affairs  of  state.  This  was  in  striking  contrast  to  con- 
ditions prevalent  in  1896,  at  the  time  of  his  father's 
succession.  His  call  to  the  throne  came  to  him  like 
a  clap  of  thunder  from  a  clear  sky,  while  he  was 
three  hundred  miles  away,  with  no  preparation  for 
the  long  overland  journey,  and  with  really  little 
desire  for  power. 

Mohammed  Ali  Mirza,  Shahinshah,  was  bom 
June  21,  1872,  and  was  crowned  King  of  Iran  at 
noon  on  Saturday,  January  19,  T907.  The  cere- 
monies, attended  by  the  diplomatic  corps  and  wit- 
nessed by  a  number  from  the  foreign  colony,  were 
in  the  afternoon. 

The  ceremonies  connected  with  the  coronation  of 
a  Shah,  while  elaborate,  are  much  simpler  than  in 


11 


MOHAMMED   ALIMIRZA      321 

many  countries  far  more  democratic.    The  ceremony 
began  by  the  high  court  dignitaries  and  the  foreign 
diplomatic  officers  assembling  at  the  Palace.    Their 
place  of  rendezvous,  for  these  officials  at  the  Palace, 
is  a  small  room  in  an  outer  court.     From  there  they 
are  conducted  to  the  throne-room  or  the  museum. 
The  brilliancy  of  an  Oriental  Court  consists  in  the 
quaintness  and  richness  of  the  costumes  worn.  Some 
of  these  are  very  heavy  and  lined  with  fur.     I  re- 
member once  being  present  at  one  of  these  functions 
late  in  June.     By  ancient  custom  they  are  always 
held  an  hour  after  mid-day,  and  a  June  afternoon 
in  Teheran  is  hot.     There  was  one  officer  who  was 
heavily  dressed  in  these  furs,  and  with  the  stoicism 
born  of  greatness  he  stood  the  costume  without  com- 
plaint, although  the  perspiration  streamed  down  his 
face.     The  day  of  the  coronation  of  Mohammed 
Ali  Shah  was  fine  overhead,  and  the  streets  of  the 
citadel  were  crowded  with  thousands  of  people  seek- 
ing to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  brilliant  assembly. 

In  the  throne-room  there  was  a  striking  picture, 
all  the  leading  powers  of  the  Western  world  being 
represented  by  ministers  and  other  officers.  As  the 
royal  procession  entered  the  room,  it  was  led  by  a 
brother  of  the  new  Shah,  followed  by  a  procession  of 
high  court  officials,  mollahs  or  Mohammedan  priests, 
and  the  specially  invited  guests.  The  Prime  Minister 
then  advanced  and  placed  on  the  head  of  the  Prince 
the  jewelled  crown,  while  he  was  declared  the  sole 
and  rightful  heir  to  the  Persian  throne.    At  this 


■  i 


822    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

moment,  the  chief  mollah  began  to  quote  from  the 
Koran.  Later,  a  poem  was  recited  which  had  been 
written  for  the  occasion  by  the  poet-laureate.  All 
these  exercises  were  conducted  with  the  greatest  dig- 
nity and  decorum.  The  Shah  then  descended  from 
the  throne,  and,  with  great  self-possession  and  tact, 
he  spoke  to  each  foreign  delegate  in  an  informal  and 
pleasant  manner.  As  he  retired  from  the  room,  the 
band  played  the  national  anthem,  and  the  brilliant 
function  came  to  an  end.  The  city  was  illuminated, 
and  there  were  popular  rejoicings  throughout. 

The  Shah  resembles  his  illustrious  grandfather, 
Nasr-ed-Din,  more  than  his  father.     He  is  short 
and  stout,  wearing  glasses   for  short-sightedness, 
walks  with  a  quick,  firm  step,  and  has  the  general 
bearing  of  a  man  that  is  quite  sure  of  himself.     He 
entered  at  once  seriously  upon  his  duties,  being  at 
his  desk  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.     The  writer 
had  the  honour  to  be  received  by  him  in  the  most 
informal  and  pleasant  manner.     He  spoke  of  his 
admiration  for  America,  and  the  great  future  for 
our  country.     He  was  also  kind  enough  to  refer  to 
the  work  of  the  American  missionary  doctors  whom 
he  had  known,  especially  those  in  west  Persia,  Drs. 
Vanneman  and  Cochran.     To  all  who  meet  him, 
His  Majesty  is  gracious,  dignified,  and  tactful. 

Soon  after  the  coronation,  the  Shah  was  bom- 
barded with  complaints  against  M.  Naus,  a  Belgian, 
who,  as  Minister  of  Customs  and  Posts,  had  gained 
a  marvellous  control  over  the  whole  country  through 


in 


MOHAMMED   ALIMIRZA      828 

the  paying  of  salaries  and  distribution  of  revenues. 
The  complaints  against  him  seemed  to  rest  on  the 
charge  that  he  had  let  his  ambitions  lead  him  too  far, 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  it  was  not  denied  that  the 
country  financially  was  in  a  bad  way,  that  the  gov- 
ernment must  have  money,  and  that  M.  Naus  was, 
probably,  the  best  man  to  find  it.  The  question  of 
his  retention  in  office  hung  fire  for  some  months, 
until  the  Minister  was  attacked  by  a  band  of  infu- 
riated men  in  the  street.  The  attack  was  resented 
by  the  European  colony,  led  by  the  various  heads 
of  legations.  This  protest  was  not  made  in  order 
to  keep  him  in  office,  but  it  was  against  making  a 
European  the  object  of  an  attack  by  irresponsible 
parties  in  the  street.  The  opposition  became  so  great 
that  he  was  forced  to  leave  the  country. 

One  of  the  charges  used  to  stir  up  the  people 
against  M.  Naus  was  that  he  attended  a  masquerade 
ball  in  the  dress  of  a  Mohammedan  ecclesiastic,  and 
had  allowed  himself  to  become  photographed  with 
this  garb  on.  This  picture  was  copied  and  freely 
circulated  in  the  bazaars  until  the  worst  passions  of 
the  people  were  aroused.  It  was  represented  that  the 
picture  was  taken  to  bring  odium  upon  the  Moham- 
medan faith.  Of  course,  there  was  no  such  intent, 
but  it  clearly  shows  how  prudently  a  European  mu.st 
walk  in  Persia. 

This  incident  had  scarcely  closed  when  a  rebellion 
broke  out  in  the  region  of  :iamadan  and  Kemian- 
shah,  headed  by  the  Prince  Salar-ed-Dovleh,  half- 


824    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 


'         I 


brother  of  the  Shah.  He  had  organised  a  strong 
but  undisciplined  force,  largely  from  the  hill-tribes 
in  Kurdistan,  with  which  he  threatened  Hamadan. 
It  was  claimed  that  after  taking  Hamadan  he  pro- 
posed to  proceed  to  Teheran  and  contest  the  Throne. 
It  was  not  evident  who  had  encouraged  him  to  think 
that  a  parliament  would  support  such  a  venture,  for 
the  latter  stood  loyally  by  the  Shah,  and  the  re- 
bellion, after  a  month,  failed  completely. 

The  burdens  resting  upon  the  shoulders  of  the 
new  Shah  naturally  made  him  wish  for  an  expe- 
rienced man  to  share  with  him  these  responsibilities. 
Four  years  before,  AH  Askair,  Emin-e-Sultan,  had 
been  sent  into  exile,  or,  in  other  words,  had  been  al- 
lowed to  leave  the  country,  after  having  been  twice 
Prime  Minister.  He  was  an  exceedingly  clever  man, 
and  had  been  popular  with  the  people  until  he  was 
charged  with  negotiating  a  needless  loan  of  twenty 
million  dollars,  connected  with  which  there  was  no 
small  graft.  His  recall  to  Pei  Aa  from  Europe  was 
urged  upon  the  new  king  by  various  influential  lead- 
ers. In  May,  he  arrived  in  Teheran,  and  took  the 
title  of  Attabeg,  the  highest  possible  Persian  honour. 
But  four  years  had  changed  the  whole  political  situ- 
ation, and  this  fact  he  did  not  seem  to  realise.  Men 
in  Persia  are  old  at  fifty,  and  old  men  find  it  hard  to 
readjust  their  views,  prejudices,  and  general  atti- 
tude toward  questions. 

One  evening  in  September,  as  he  was  leaving  the 
Parliament,  he  was  fatally  shot,  the  ^sassin  at  once 


TIIK  r.ATK  IRIMI-:   MFXISTKR  OF   I'KHSIA,  ATT  VlilG 
KMIX-K-SrLTAX. 
Assassinated  at  door  of  i'arliamcnt  building,  SciJteinber,  1907. 


I  f: 


MOHAMMED   ALI    MIRZA      325 

committing  suicide.  The  Minister's  body  was  quietly 
taken  without  special  honours  to  Kum  for  burial. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  grave  of  the  assassin 
was  at  once  honoured  as  a  place  of  pilgrimage,  on 
one  day  as  many  as  twenty  thousand  people  going 
with  flowers  to  pay  homage  to  his  memory.  In  the 
minds  of  many,  he  at  once  became  a  national  hero, 
and  poets  made  him  the  subject  of  their  verse.  Such 
a  situation  naturally  struck  terror  to  the  hearts 
of  many  leading  citizens  and  called  for  the  wis- 
est and  most  prudent  action  on  the  part  of  all  in 
authority. 

It  was  just  at  this  time  that  the  terms  of  the 
Anglo-Russian  agreement  concerning  Persia  were 
made  public  and  caused  some  feeling  on  the  part  of 
many  of  the  leaders.  They  were  naturally  sensitive 
about  anything  that  touched  the  commercial  as  well 
as  the  political  independence  of  the  country.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  Agreement  did  not  prejudice 
those  interests,  nor  did  it  in  any  way  encroach  upon 
the  interests  of  third  parties;  it  was  confined  to  re- 
ciprocal stipulations  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain 
and  Russia.  The  recognition  of  the  principle  of  the 
open  door  by  the  Agreement  was  a  manifest 
acknowledgment  that  the  rights  of  other  Powers 
could  not  be  disposed  of  without  consulting  the  lat- 
ter. So  the  Agreement  would  seem  to  assure  the 
independence  of  Persia  and  the  perpetuation  of  the 
diflFerent  foreign  interests  represented  there.  While 
some  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Assembly  saw 


826    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 


good  in  this  new  order  of  things,  the  majority  were 
very  suspicious  about  it,  and  these  conflicting  views 
led  to  much  debate  and  some  friction. 

The  fact  that  Turkish  troops  had  crossed  the  fron- 
tier and  had  laid  claims  to  territory  about  Urumia 
and  Salmas  added  not  a  little  to  the  difficulties  of 
the  situation.  An  army,  under  the  leadership  of 
Prince  Firma  Firman,  sent  to  the  region,  had  been 
defeated  by  the  Turks  and  forced  back  into  the 
region  about  the  lake.  The  question  at  this  writing 
is  still  under  consideration  by  a  commission. 

In  November  (1906),  the  Shah  paid  his  first  visit 
to  the  Assembly.  He  was  received  with  great 
honour  and  the  pomp  befitting  his  high  office.  Un- 
fortunately for  the  country,  this  era  of  good-fellow- 
ship between  the  executive  and  legislative  branches 
of  the  government  was  of  short  duration.  A  few 
weeks  after  this  royal  visit  to  the  Assembly  keen 
friction  arose  between  them.  This  happily  was  set- 
tled without  serious  results. 

Some  months  later,  as  His  Majesty  was  driving 
out  for  his  usual  Friday  excursion  to  the  country,  a 
bomb  was  thrown  that  killed  several  outriders  and 
demolished  the  automobile.  The  Shah  had  left  the 
motor-car  and  was  riding  in  a  closed  carriage  at 
the  time  of  the  throwing  of  the  bomb.  In  this  he 
showed  great  bravery,  getting  out  of  the  closed  car- 
riage, giving  directions  about  aid  for  the  wounded, 
and  going  on  foot  from  the  place  of  the  tragedy  to 
the  Palace.    The  wounded  outriders  were  sent  to  the 


MOHAMMED   A  LI    MIRZA      as? 

American  Mission  Hospital,  where  they  were  cared 
for. 

With  the  political  horizon  darkened  by  clouds 
driven  in  divers  directions  by  many  cross  winds, 
great  questions  yet  unsettled,  and  much  unrest  and 
expectancy  throughout  the  country,  the  first  year  of 
the  reign  of  His  Imperial  Majesty,  Moliamnied  Ali 
Mirza,  Shaliinshah,  closed.  It  had  been  strenuous 
enough  to  suit  a  Roosevelt,  but  much  had  been  ac- 
complished,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  fric- 
tion between  the  legislative  and  executive  depart- 
ments of  the  government  had  steadily  become  more 
and  more  acute,  and  threatened  open  warfare. 

In  June,   1908,  the  political  storm  cloud  burst, 
bringing  destruction   to  the   Parliament   building, 
death  to  a  number  of  the  liberal  leaders  and  many 
others,  banishment  and  exile  to  some,  and  great  loss 
of  property  to  many.     It  seems  that  the  Shah  sent 
his  soldiers  to  the  Parliament  House  to  arrest  cer- 
tain persons  charged  with  conspiracy  who  were  seek- 
ing protection  there.     When  the  demand  for  them 
was  made  it  was  refused  by  the  Parliament.     This 
was  followed  by  some  firing  up<,n  the  Cossacks  and 
the  throwing  of  a  bomb.     Then  the  Cossacks  at- 
tacked the  Parliament  House  itself,  and  when  re- 
sisted cannonaded  it,  not  only  destroying  it,  but  do- 
ing much  damage  to  the  great  mosque,  Sapar  Salar, 
that  joined  it  on  the  south.     Naturally,  panic  at  once 
prevailed  throughout  the  city,  and  continued  until 
order  was  restored  by  martial  law.     There  was  more 


388    TWENTY   YEAllS   IN   PERSIA 

or  less  looting  of  private  estates  during  the  riots. 
Among  the  liberal  leaders  executed  was  Malik 
Mutakalamin,  the  great  Nationalist  preacher,  upon 
whose  eyes  we  had  operated  for  cataract  six  months 
before.  He  was  sent  to  the  hospital  by  the  Parlia- 
ment for  treatment,  quite  blind,  and  we  never  saw 
him  again  after  he  returned  home  seeing. 

The  disturbances  were  more  severe  in  Tabriz 
than  in  Teheran,  and  at  this  writing  the  result  is  not 
known.    Throughout  the  whole  country  the  contest 
was  waged,  but  in  most  places  the  victory  was  to  the 
strong.     The  Shah,  by  his  extraordinary  methods, 
had  struck  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  revolutionists, 
and  established  his  authority.     His  failure  to  gain 
control  in  the  previous  December  emboldened  the 
revolutionists,  and  in  view  of  subsequent  events  was 
unfortunate,  for  had  he  then  taken  more  active  meas- 
ures many  lives  might  have  been  saved.  At  that  time, 
he  seemed  reluctant  to  use  force.    To  properly  judge 
His  Majesty's  policy  in  this  crisis,  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  he  had  very  explicit  reasons  for  fear- 
ing that  his  throne  was  in  danger.     It  cannot  be 
denied  that  the  capital  was  honeycombed  with  revo- 
lutionary societies,  often  led  by  unwise  heads,  that 
these  organisations  were  so  mixed  and  intermixed 
with  the  nighty  potential  forces  for  good  that  first 
prompted  ihe  inauguration  of  the  Parliament  and 
Constitutio.i,   that   they  could   not   be   eliminated 
without  injury  to  the  innocent.     In  the  eyes  of  the 
Shah,  the  offence  of  the  Parliament  lay  deeper  than 


•■K_ 


MOHxVMMED   ALI   MIRZA      3«9 

mere  meddling  and  the  habit  of  mur'  -iratory.  It 
was  a  situation  involving  the  future  oi  the  dynasty, 
and,  when  a  throne  is  at  stake,  the  game  is  not 
played  with  soft  hands  even  in  the  Occident,  much 
less  in  the  Orient. 

Another  election  will  be  called  this  autumn,  after 
which  the  second  Parliament  will  convene.  It  will, 
doubtless,  be  more  in  accord  with  the  Shah's  inter- 
pretation of  the  Constitution  than  the  latter  appears 
to  have  been.  It  is  now  too  soon  to  predict  what 
the  ultimate  end  will  be,  but  it  is  well  for  all  parties 
to  bear  in  mind  the  oft  proven  fact  that  the  tree  of 
liberty  is  hardy  and  thrives  best  when  watered  by 
storms  and  cloudbursts. 


i'   (if 


XX 

THE  REFORM  MOVEMENT 

THE  whole  world  knows  that  Persia  is  in  a 
state  of  political,  economic,  and  social 
change.  The  people  are  in  a  condition  of 
expectancy,  and  everywhere  there  is  unrest.  They 
seem  to  have  c:.st  to  the  winds  as  worthless  their 
former  boast,  that  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Per- 
sians never  change.  But  this  movement  in  Persia 
is  only  a  part  of  the  general  change  now  found  in 
many  places  throughout  Asia.  It  is  worse  than  use- 
less, if  not  absolutely  silly,  to  try  to  conceal  the  true 
conditions  in  the  Orient  to-day.  The  triumphs  of 
Japan,  the  power  of  Europe  and  America,  and  the 
great  need  apparent  on  every  hand  in  Asia,  have 
combined  to  create  what  may  well  be  called  an  Ori- 
ental unrest. 

There  is  a  new  Persia,  and  the  conditions  through- 
out the  country  are  of  such  a  character  as  to  call  for 
the  best  efforts  of  the  most  experienced.  These  con- 
ditions had  their  origin  away  back  in  the  early  days 
of  Nasr-ed-Din  Shah,  when  Mirza  Taghe  Khan 
was  the  Prime  Minister,  now  fifty  years  ago.  This 
man  paid  the  penalty  of  death  for  holding  certain 
political  views  that  were  then  thought  to  be  too  lib- 

880 


THE    REFORM   MOVEMENT  831 


eral.  For  the  next  forty  years,  if  any  one  held  to 
these  same  liberal  notions  concerning  governmental 
affairs,  he  did  not  express  them.  It  would  seem, 
however,  in  the  light  of  subsequent  history,  that  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  they  were  not  expressed, 
they  were  filling  the  minds  of  the  people.  In  1891, 
when  the  same  hand  that  sent  away  the  doomed 
vazier  tried  to  inaugurate  a  new  system  of  revenue^-, 
by  means  of  the  now  celebrated  Tobacco  Corpora- 
tion, he  met  worse  than  failure.  This  was  an  English 
corporation,  which,  in  short,  proposed  to  pay  an 
enormous  sum  into  the  public  treasury  for  a  monop- 
oly on  the  tobacco  grown  and  used  in,  as  well  as 
exported  from,  Persia. 

The  charter  was  most  liberal,  and  if  the  conces- 
sionaries had  been  wise  and  tactful,  recognising  the 
prejudices  of  the  people  from  a  religious  standpoint, 
the  scheme  might  have  gone  through  without  oppo- 
sition strong  enough  to  have  seriously  interfered 
with  its  workings.  Another  thing  that  militated 
against  the  success  of  the  corporation  was  the 
thought  that  seemed  to  fill  the  mind  of  the  head  of 
the  concern,  that  by  reaching  a  few  grandees  the  sit- 
uation could  be  controlled.  If,  instead  of  using  so 
much  money,  they  had  exercised  less  authority  and 
used  a  little  more  tact,  it  would  have  been  far  better 
not  only  for  themselves,  but  also  for  the  country, 
and  for  foreigners  subsequently  residing  there. 

They  failed  utterly  in  keeping  their  finger  on  the 
pulse  of  the  people.    We  have  found  that  this  often 


332    TWENTY   YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

happens  on  the  part  of  the  Westerner  in  dealing 
with  the  Oriental.  Too  many  undertake  gigantic 
schemes  without  a  knowledge  of  the  language,  char- 
acter of  the  people,  the  national  spirit  and  purposes, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  prejudices,  religious  and  other- 
wise, that  do  more  than  anything  else  to  move  the 
national  body. 

This  attempt  to  inaugurate  a  new  system  of  tax- 
ation met  everywhere  with  most  serious  opposition. 
The  Persians  are  a  nation  given  over  to  the  use  of 
tobacco,  both  men  and  women  using  large  quantities 
of  it ;  but  when  the  Mujtihid  of  Kerbela,  the  leader 
of  the  Shiah  Mohammedans,  issued  his  now  famous 
decree  forbidding  the  use  of  tobacco  throughout 
Persia  so  long  as  the  tax  was  imposed,  every  pipe 
was  put  away.     Men,  and  women,  too,  for  that 
matter,  accustomed  to  the  soothing  effects  of  the 
weed,   became   more   and  more   irritable,   and   at 
the  same  time  more  determined  to  gain  their  free- 
dom by  the  expulsion  of  the  company  from  the 

country. 

Early  in  January,  1892,  a  mob  surrounded  the 
Palace,  in  Teheran,  and  demanded  the  cancelling  of 
the  company's  charter  and  the  withdrawal  of  all  its 
agents.  It  was  evident  to  all  thinking  minds  that 
the  foundations  of  the  government  had  been  shaken, 
and  that  the  lives  of  all  foreigners  were  in  danger. 
Nasr-ed-Din  Shah  was  evidently  of  this  judgment, 
as  well  as  the  entire  foreign  colony.  After  a  riot, 
in  which  several  of  the  disturbers  were  killed,  the 


THE    REFORM    MOVEMENT  333 

demands  of  the  people  were  granted,  and  the  con- 
cern left  the  country. 

The  heavy  indemnity  of  two  and  a  half  million 
dollars,  less  the  assets  and  expenses  of  the  company, 
of  a  little  more  than  half  this  sum,  left  the  promoters 
with  a  well-filled  pocket,  but  hurt  frightfully  the 
prestige  of  all  foreigners  throughout  the  coun- 
try. This  was  regretted  most  by  the  leaders  in  the 
English  colony  in  Teheran,  who,  knowing  the  coun- 
try well,  saw  only  failure  for  the  company  from  the 
beginning.  To  those  at  home  who  would  compare 
the  tact  and  wisdom  of  commercial  enterprises  oper- 
ating in  the  Orient  to  the  lack  of  these  qualities  in 
missionary  endeavour,  greatly  to  the  disadvantage 
of  the  latter,  the  history  of  this  commercial  venture, 
as  well  as  others,  under  American  and  European 
management,  might  prove  helpful  to  them. 

It  cannot  be  charged  that  all  Persia's  subsequent 
troubles  were  due  to  the  failure  of  this  company, 
but  it  did  leave  Persia  with  its  first  national  debt. 
Although  the  sum  was  small  for  a  nation  to  pay,  it 
was  the  beginning  that  continued  to  increase  by  for- 
eign loans  throughout  successive  administrations, 
and  had  multiplied  nearly  ten-fold  when  the  present 
ruler  came  to  the  throne. 

Another  contributory  factor  to  the  subsequent 
happenings  in  Persia,  due  to  the  failure  of  the  Im- 
perial Tobacco  Corporation,  was  the  influence  the 
victory  brought  the  religious  leaders.  With  the 
passing  of  this  company  the  power  of  the  ecclesias- 


834     TWENTY   YEARS   IN    PERSIA 

tical  leaders  became  more  pronounced  each  year,  and 
ended  in  the  establishment  of  a  National  Assembly 
and  a  constitutional  form  of  government,  as  related 
in  previous  chapters.     It  was  only  natural  after  all 
that  had  gone  before,  that  the  priesthood  should 
have   a   strong   influence   in   moulding   subsequent 
events.    Besides,  they  are  the  leaders  in  intellectual 
as  well  as  in  religious  thought,  and  without  them  it 
is  difficult  to  see  how  the  reform  movement  could 
have  succeeded.     If  history  repeats  itself,  as  it  has 
done  in  other  countries,  the  influence  of  the  priest 
in  politics  will  decrease  as  the  Liberal  movement 
gains  strength. 

For  the  past  ten  years  and  more,  the  country, 
while  advancing  inteflectually,  has  been  going  back- 
.vard  in  material  aflfairs.     The  rich  are  finding  it 
harder  to  meet  their  obligations,  and  the  peasants, 
in  many  localities,  are  banding  themselves  together 
to  resist  the  tax-gatherer.    It  seems  strange  to  those 
of  us  who  have  known  Persia  under  the  old  regime, 
to  hear  the  merchant,  artisan,  and  sometimes  the 
labouring  mechanic,  discussing  schemes  for  the  bet- 
terment of  the  people.     Many  of  these,  of  course, 
are  wild  and  childish,  but  they,  nevertheless,  indicate 
that  a  new  era  of  thought  has  dawned  upon  the 
people,  and  that  thev  aie  living  in  a  period  between 
the  dawn  and  tl       '■      daylight  in  their  political 

history. 

The  crop  of  newspapers  which  recently  sprang  up 
in  the  Capital  is  suggestive  of  the  transformation  be- 


MKMI'.KKS  Ol'    riKSr    I'Ain.l.WlKNT    I'KdM    I'K' )V1\CK 
Ol-    TKIIKK.W. 


Till".  r.KKAT  SHRINK  AT  KCM. 

Here    tlic    Reform     I-railirs    liave    soiit-Iit    rt'fiij:f     from    porsccutinii    at 

(liliVifnt  tiims.     It  is  line  of  tliu  most  siuicil  sliriiics  in    Persia. 


J    ' 


THE    REFORM    MOVEMENT  886 


ing  wrought  in  the  land.  "  The  Assembly,"  "  The 
Civilisation,"  "The  Cry  of  the  Country,"  "Jus- 
tice," "  Progress,"  "  Knowledge,"  are  some  of  these 
periodicals.  Another  bore  the  striking  title  of 
"  Gabriel's  Trumpet."  Under  the  title  was  a  pic- 
ture of  an  angel  flying  over  a  thickly-populated  cem- 
etery, from  which  the  dead  are  coming  forth  to  life. 
Attached  to  the  trumpet  was  a  scroll  with  the  motto : 
"  Liberty,  Eq-  wty,  and  Fraternity."  The  govern- 
ment has  now  stopped  the  publication  of  this  jour- 
nal. A  year  before,  there  was  not  a  single 
political  paper  published,  although  there  were  sev- 
eral devoted  to  science,  education,  and  general 
news.  One  of  the  articles  of  the  Constitution  pro- 
vides that  so  long  as  newspapers  print  nothing  in- 
imical to  the  fundamental  interests  of  the  State, 
they  have  full  liberty  to  print  what  they  choose.  The 
whole  of  the  discussions  in  the  National  Assembly 
may  be  printed,  but  owing  to  their  length  and  ver- 
bosity no  one  has  yet  done  so. 

Nor  is  the  discussion  of  Persia's  interests  con- 
fined to  these  local  journals.  Less  than  a  year  ago, 
the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  who  was  at  that  time 
also  President  of  the  Council  of  State,  said  on  the 
floor  of  the  National  Assembly,  when  referring  to 
the  interest  now  taken  in  Oriental  affairs,  that  for- 
merly not  a  paragraph  was  printed  about  Persia, 
while  to-day  one  sees  something  concerning  it  almost 
every  day. 

In  the  Teheran  papers  may  be  seen,  daily,  articles 


836    TWENTY  YEARS   IN   PERSIA 

discussing  old  laws  to  be  revised  or  new  ones  to  be 
enacted,  negotiations  for  concessions,  treaties,  loans, 
all  financial  measures,  including  even  the  royal  ex- 
penditures, the  levying  of  taxes,  the  construction  of 
railways,  waggon  roads,  and  other  needed  internal 
improvements. 

The  first  National  Assembly  consisted  of  two 
bodies,  a  lower  and  an  upper  house,  corresponding 
to  our  Congress.  Both  houses  are  elective,  ex- 
cept that  fifteen  members  of  the  senate  or  upper 
house  may  be  appointed  by  the  Crown,  and  all  bills 
must  pass  them  both  before  becoming  law,  besides 
receiving  the  royal  seal.  At  present,  the  limit  of 
the  lower  house  is  fixed  at  two  hundred  members, 
while  the  upper  house  is  limited  to  fifty. 

It  remains  to  be  seen  whether  representative  in- 
stitutions are  workable  in  a  country  like  Persia, 
where  probably  nine  out  of  ten  voters  are  without 
education  or  training  in  self-government.    Some  are 
looking  for  a  foreign  protectorate,  and  not  a  few 
of  the  property-owners  would  welcome  such  a  solu- 
tion of  this  vexed  question.    The  Chri?thns,  such  as 
the  Nestorians  and  Armenians,  are  not  directly  rep- 
resented in  the  Assembly.    Neither  are  the  Jews. 
There  v.'ere  a  good  many  Babees,  probably,  in  both 
houses  of  the  Parliament  or  Assembly,  but  they  were 
known  as  Mohammedans. 

In  the  meantime,  business  is  frightfully  depressed, 
and  in  many  localities  an  accident,  such  as  the  failure 
of  the  crops,  would  put  whole  communities  on  the 


THE   REFORM    MOVEMENT  887 

verge  of  starvation.  Worse  even  than  this  is  tlie 
dangerous  condition  of  many  of  the  overland  trade 
routes  that  prevent  the  usual  transfer  of  products. 
Public  confidence  everywhere  has  been  badly  shaken, 
and  people  who  have  money  are  hoarding  it  up, 
awaiting  the  result  of  these  attempted  reformations. 

Were  it  not  for  the  Anglo-Russian  agreement  to 
respect  the  independence  of  Persia,  we  might  expect 
some  ratlical  changes  in  Teheran.  The  gradual  ex- 
tension of  Russian  influence  about  the  Caspian,  and 
in  the  western  provinces,  would  seem  to  point  to  the 
eventual  absorption  of  at  least  that  part  of  Persia. 
Evidently  Russia  prefers  commercial  control  over 
the  north  of  Persia,  rather  than  political  influence, 
which  would  bring  with  it  the  cost  and  responsibility 
of  complete  control.  It  would  seem  that  Great 
Britain  takes  the  same  view,  as  she  is  not  anxious  to 
undertake  tl..^  government  of  more  than  just  enough 
to  protect  her  Indian  frontier.  German  interests 
in  Persia  are  increasing  some,  while  the  interests  of 
France  are  well  looked  after  by  her  Foreign  Ofiice. 
It  is  hard  to  see  how  any  of  these  Powers  can  extend 
a  helping  hand  to  Persia.  It  would  seem  that  it 
was  "  up  to  her  "  to  work  out  her  own  reformation. 

Can  the  country  be  regenerated  under  these  con- 
ditions? is  a  question  one  hears  very  often  in  Amer- 
ica. Can  new  wine  be  put  into  old  bottles?  is  but 
another  way  of  stating  it.  The  regeneration  of 
every  country  that  has  reached  the  goal  of  honest 
government  has  been  slow  and  full  of  discourage- 


3S8    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

ments.     The  sowing  to  the  winds  of  graft,  and  reap- 
ing the  whirlwinds  of  defeat,  has  been  the  experi- 
ence of  not  a  few  Occidental  as  well  as  Oriental 
countries.    That  there  is  true  patriotism  in  many  of 
the  Persian  hearts  cannot  be  denied;  while,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  is  equally  true  that  the  taking  of  bribes 
is  the  greatest  menace  to  honest  and  successful  gov- 
ernment.    It  is  conceded  on  every  hand  that  there 
are  not  a  few  able,  wise,  and  strong  heads  directing 
the  affairs  of  the  Liberal  movement.    But  there  must 
be   wholesale   education    throughout    the   country, 
along  moral  as  well  as  educational  lines,  before  the 
present  unrest  will  find  a  permanent  solution.  There 
is  always  hope  when  a  saving  remnant  among  the 
people  are  honest,  and  that  is  just  the  condition  in 
Persia  to-day.    The  difficulty  rests  in  the  fact  that 
so  large  a  per  cent,  even  of  the  better  classes  are  not 
prepared  by  education  to  take  part  in  the  reforms. 

A  limited  system  of  railroads  in  Persia  would  do 
more  than  anything  else  to  benefit  the  country  and 
briti?;  material  progress  to  the  people.     Anything 
that  will  do  this  will  have  the  hearty  support  of  the 
masses.    No  doubt,  as  Persia's  finances  are  ixit  upon 
a  better  footing,  foreign  capital  will  be  available 
for  these  much-needed  improvements.     When  this 
is  done,  her  exports  will  increase,  and  her  trade  will 
be  greatly  stimulated;  but,  better  than  this,  it  will 
make  famine  almost  impossible,  for,  owing  to  the 
different  climatic  conditions  throughout  the  country, 
there  is  always  a  good  crop  in  some  districts.    The 


THE    REFORM    MOVEMENT  889 


difficulty  has  been  that  because  of  lack  of  transpor- 
tation, there  is  nut  infrequently  an  abundant  harvest 
in  one  district,  while  in  others,  too  far  away  to  be 
reached  by  caravan,  there  is  at  times  absolute  fam- 
ine. Any  scheme  that  will  reduce  the  price  of  bread, 
and  keep  the  people  well  fed,  will  go  a  long  way 
toward  solving  many  of  Persia's  present  troubles. 

A  beginning  in  the  way  of  road-making  has  al- 
ready been  effected,  the  road  mentioned  in  another 
chapter,  between  the  Caspian  and  Teheran,  being  the 
first  one  constructed.  There  is  also  a  fair  extent  of 
waggon  roads  about  Teheran  and  Tabriz,  but  the 
hope  of  the  country  is  in  a  railway  from  Meshed  on 
the  east,  to  Tabriz  on  the  west,  via  Teheran,  with 
another  line  to  the  Gulf  via  Kum,  Ispahan,  and  Shi- 
raz.  These  and  similar  improvements  will  be  in- 
augurated, doubtless,  during  the  beneficent  reign  of 
the  present  ruler.  One  of  the  most  hopeful  signs 
is  that  among  the  Persian  people  the  opinion  prevails 
that  most  of  the  foreigners  represent  principles  for 
which  the  nation  is  contending,  and  are  consequently 
entitled  to  esteem  and  consideration.  The  National 
Assembly,  in  the  autumn  of  1907,  had  notices 
posted  in  public  places  that  foreigners  were  to  be 
considered  guests  of  the  nation,  and  their  per- 
sons must  be  held  sacred  and  free  from  insult  and 
molestation. 

If  the  revenues  of  the  country  are  properly  cared 
for,  it  is  quite  possible  for  Persia  to  raise  an  army 
that  could  defend  its  borders.    The  present  condi- 


840    TWENTY  YEARS  IN   PERSIA 

tion  of  the  military  should  not  lead  any  one  to  think 
that  the  Persian  soldiers  are  not  capable  of  being 
trained.  At  least  this  is  the  opinion  of  those  who 
are  in  a  position  to  know  best.  If  the  troops  were 
well-paid,  officered  by  Europeans  who  would  enforce 
righteous  discipline,  it  would  not  be  long  until  the 
world  would  sit  up  and  take  notice.  They  are  capa- 
ble of  enduring  the  greatest  privations  and  often 
make  long  marches  on  rations  that  a  Wes»^rn  soldier 
would  not  eat.  Many  of  them  are  brave  and  ready 
for  any  conflict.  Their  clothing  may  be  of  the  cheai>- 
est  cotton,  and  their  pay  annually  less  than  what  an 
American  soldier  costs  per  month,  but  so  long  as 
they  are  paid  and  well-disciplined,  they  will  fight. 
Cavalry  drawn  from  the  Bakhtiaris,  Kurds,  and 
other  hill-tribes  could  defend  their  country  against 
almost  any  sort  of  an  invasion.  No  mountain  pass 
is  too  high,  and  no  road  too  rough,  for  them  to 
travel.  The  possible  reorganisation  of  the  Persian 
army  ttiay  be  remote,  but,  nevertheless,  it  is  deemed 
a  {K»ssibility.  More  unexpected  things  than  this 
have  hapi)eiR'd  in  Iran  during  the  last  two  years. 

I  think  any  one  who  will  read  the  preceding  chap- 
ters, touching,'  upon  the  social  life  of  the  people,  will 
see  that  while  just  laws  are  greatly  needed,  they 
alone  cannot  bring  about  the  desired  results.  All 
want  to  see  a  government  that  will  plant  a  hope  in 
the  hearts  of  the  people,  and  give  them  something 
to  live  for — anything  less  than  this  cannot  be  called 
government.    But  this  is  quite  impossible  so  long  as 


THE    REFORM    MOVEMENT  841 

the  people  remain  in  ignorance  and  error.  VV.th 
such  a  people  the  volume  of  business  must  be  small 
until  economic  reforms  are  instituted.  There  <^ught 
never  to  be  any  conflict  between  the  administrator, 
merchant,  and  missionary  in  Asia,  for  their  inter- 
ests should  all  point  to  one  thing,  i-ic,  the  raising 
of  the  people  to  the  place  where  they  can  help  them- 
selves. True,  there  will  be  little  fires  of  criticism 
s<inietimes.  started  by  little  matches,  that  will  do 
much  harm  to  all  interests  in  the  Orient;  but  these 
things  arc  always  unfortunate,  yet  at  the  same  time 
unavoidable. 

Thus  the  struggle  in  Persia  is  along  the  three  lines 
indicated  aljovc,  and  must  be  met  by  the  enactment 
of  just  laws,  the  inaugu..  .1  of  better  business 
methods,  and  the  establishmc  i  of  schools,  where  the 
value  of  honesty  and  truth  is  taught.  If  any  one 
of  these  three  things  is  done,  though  the  other  two 
are  left  undone,  it  will  help  materially;  but  the  rem- 
edy will  not  be  complete. 


GLOSSARY 


Agha:  a  feudal  lord,  master 
Akhd:   betrothal 
Anderoon:   harem 
Arusee:  wedding 


recep- 


Bast:  refuge 
Beroon:    an   office   or 

tion  room  for  men 
Benafchees:   violets 
Bismallah:    in    the    name    of 

God 
Bodgee:  a  maid-servant 

Chavador:   muleteer 
Chinar:  a  sycamore  tree 
Chuddar:    an    outer    garment 
for  women 

Ducan:  a  shop  in  a  bazaar 

Fairdeh:  to-morrow 

Farsakh  (parsang) :  about 
four  miles 

Feruz:  a  turquoise 

Frangee  (Frank):  a  West- 
erner 


Ganj:  treasure 

Hakim:  a  doctor 
Hakim     Sahib: 
doctor 


«     qualified 


Iran:  Persia 
Iranee:   a   Persian 
Inshallah:  if  God  wills 
Istakharreh:  casting  the  die 

Jujeh:  a  chicken 


aque- 


Kabob:  roast  meat 
Kanats:    underground 

ducts 
Kajavehs:       large       panniers 

used   for   carrying  travellers 
Kalyan:  a  water-pipe  used  by 

smokers 
Kersi    (Kursi):    a    household 

arrangement  for  heating 
Kolah:  a  Persian  hat 
Kurban:  a  sacrifice 


Madrasseh 
Madokhal: 
Mirza :    if 

name,  a 
Mirza :     if 

name,   a 
MoUah: 

priest 
Mord-ob:  a 
Mundji :  a 


;  a  native  school 

graft 

placed    before    the 
scribe 

placed    after    the 

prince 

a       Mohammedan 

bay  or  dead-water 
private  secretary 


Naib:    an   assistant   or    repre- 
sentative 
Nazeer:  a  steward 


843 


344 


GLOSSARY 


Pairdeh:  curtain 
Penadooz:  a  shoemaker 
Pilau:     a     sort     of     cooked 

rice 
PoUon:  a  pack-saddle 

Sahib:  an  Oriental  term 
meaning  master  or  Mr. 

Sag:  a  street-dog 

Salak:  a  disease  known  as 
Bagdad  or  Delhi  button 

Savob:  merit 

Seegahs:   concubines 


Shahinshah:  King  of  Kings 

Shan:  a  general  term  for  rep- 
utation 

Sheik:  chief 

Sheik-ul-Islam :  a  high  priest 
of  Islam 

Shireen:  sweet 

Tacktravan:   a   litter   used  in 

travelling 
Tamashah:  a  spectacle 
Taziyeh:  a  theatre 
Tuly:  a  hunting-dog 


IXDEX 


Adcock,  Sir  Hugh,  287 

Agriculture,  115,  116,  268 

Ahwaz,  151 

Alexandrctta,  29 

Aleppo,  29,  30,  31,  32 

Ali  Allahccs.  167 

Americans  in  Turkey,  attitude 

of  government  towards,  61 
Americans   in    Persia,   number 

of.  9 
Amol,  city  of,  144 
Anglo-Russian  agreement,  126, 

32s 

Animals,  treatment  of,  249 

Apathy  in  Persia,  cause  of,  10 

Apostolic  Church  in  Assyria, 
21,  146 

Ararat,  Mt.,  124 

Arbab-Jamshid,  89 

Armenians,  83,  120,  171,  239 

Armenian  massacres,  62 

Artists.  194 

Aryan  races,  10 

Ask,  town  of.  143 

Assembly,  National,  inaugura- 
tion of,  315;  department  of 
government,  279;  Shah  vis- 
its, 326;  destruction  of 
building,  327 

Attabeg,    see    prime    minister, 

324 
Author,     three     journeys     to 

Orient,  10 
Author,  thanks  of,  12 
Author,    journey    across    Asia 

Minor,  30 
Avicenna,    the   physician,    136, 

137 


Bab,  Babism,  163,  164,  165 

Babylon,  45 

Bagdad,  45 

Bagh-e-Shah,  117 

Bakhtiari  hill  tribes,  151,  340 

Baku,  72,  175 

Bank,  Imperial,  of  Persia,  271 ; 

right    to    issue    bank-notes, 

273 
Bank,  National,  272 
Barfurush,  145 
Baths,  142,  189 
Bell,  Col.,  robbed,  35 
Berwer,     visit     to     chief     of, 

S6 
Boiajian,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  death 

of,  65 
Books,  writing  of,  195 
Brides,      in      Kurdistan,     49; 

lower  classes,  204 
Bridegrooms,  49.  206 
Budge.  Dr.  E.  Wallace.  44.  45 
Burial,  Moslem,  128,  201,  202 

Carpets,  131,  132,  133 
Calendar,  Persian.  214,  215 
Cemetery  at  Teheran,  81 
Charms,  243 
Chebar  River,  20 
Children,  treatment  of,  250 
Cholera,  41,  219,  220,  221 
Climate    in    Teheran,    102;    in 

Tabriz,  1 19 
Clothing,  189 
Coan,  Rev.  Dr.,  26,  61 
Constantinople,  15.  30.  31 
Constitution,  proclaimed,  315 
Cochran,  Dr.  J.  P.,  247 


345 


340 


INDEX 


Country  life,  I39 

Court,  officers  of,  283 ;  cost  of, 

284;   vices  of,  284;   doctors 

of,  286 
Customs,     reorganization     of, 

Currency,  system  of,  209, 
among  Kurds,  50 

Darius,  136 

Decorations  or  Persian  orders, 

Demavend,  Mt.,  109.  "O,  142. 

143 

Demavend,  city  of,  141 

Dervishes,  161 

Diabckir,  29,  65 

Divorce.  212,  244,  245 

Dinner,  a  native,  114 

Diseases,  eye,  226,  251;  un- 
usual, 228;  native  methods 
of  treating,  227 

Doctor  in  Orient,  visits  of,  il, 
197,  208,  288 

Doctor,  native,  198,  199,  210 

Doty.  U.  S.  Consul,  122 

Drama,  religioMs,  156 

Durand,  Sir      ortimer,  237 

Ecbatana,  83,  I3S.  136 
Education.  {Sec  Schools) 
Elburz  mountains,  77,  108,  140 
Elkoosh,  visit  to,  46 
Emin-cd-Dovleh,  312 
Enzeli,  75 

Esselstyn,  Rev.  Dr.,  140 
Esther,  tomb  of.  13S 
Evil  eye,  192,  242 

Pars,  province  of,  150 

Feruz  Xuh,  140,  148 

Fire  worshipper  and  sun,  land 

of.  9 
Fighting    in    Persia,   323,   327, 

328 
Food,  114,  184.  185 
Fruits,  no,  142 
Frangee,  meaning  of,  130 


Gambling,  353 

Grain  grown,  115 

Grant,  W.  Henry,  60 

Grant,  Dr.,  in  Kurdistan,  37; 
death,  37,  316 

Gulhec,  English  summer  re- 
treat, 104 

Hamadan,  route  to,  138.  133; 
description  of,  135;  popula- 
tion, 13s;  American  Mission 
at,  137;  trade  routes  to,  138; 
ancient  landmarks,  138. 
Hasanna,  destruction  of,  59 
Hardinge,     Sir    Arthur,     105, 

106,  107 
Hardy.  Hon.  Arthur  S.,  108 
Hills,  life  in,  103 
Hills,  Shah's  palaces  in,  109 
Holmes.  Dr.  G.  W.,  180,  317, 

249.  308 
Homes,  Persian,  94,  224 
Horses,  Persian,  loi,  263 
Hospitals,  in  Teheran,  10,  224, 
22s;    in    Hamadan,    137;    iu 
Urumia,  125 
Hybennet,  M.,  266  • 

Infanticide,  242 
Intemperance.  90,  252 
Insane,  treatment  of,  251 
Iran,  origin  of  name,  10 
Irak,  province  of,  131 
Ishmael,  descendants  of,  168 
Ispahan    (Isfahan).   151:   mis- 
sions at.  151 ;  trade  of,  151 ; 
routes  via,  151 

Jezira   (Jezireh),  29 

Kasvin,  description  of,  78; 
American  Mission  at,  80; 
Indo  -  European  Telegraph 
at,  80 

Kermanshah,  133.  216 

Kenny,  Dr.  A.  L.,  254 

Kitchen,  Persian,  183 

Kharput,  destruction  of  mis- 
sion, 65;  journey  to,  62 

Khoi,  route  via,  123 


INDEX 


847 


Kochanes,  Ncstorian  ecclesias- 
tical centre,  25 

Koran,  16,  200,  376 

Koyunjik,  46 

Kflm,  great  mosque  at,  138; 
burial  ground  at,  138;  route 
to,  127 

Kurds,  language  of,  16;  char- 
acter of,  16,  59;  uprising  of, 
246 

Kurdistan,  extent  of,  15;  pop- 
ulation, 46;  brigands  in,  27 

Kurdish,  Scriptures  in,  16 

Labaree,  Rev.  Benj.,  123 

Languages,  Persian,  153 

Lar  valley,  109 

Laundry,  191 

Laws,  273,  274,  275.  276,  tn 

Letter  writing,  180 

Lepers,  252 

Lindlcy,  Hon.  Dr.,  287 

Lower  classes,  195 

Luristan,  152 

Mardin,  route  v'-i^,  29 
Marriage  in  Persia,  49,  50,  206, 

207.  208 
Martyn.  Rev.  Henry.  150 
McDowell.  Rev.  E.  W.,  29,  33, 

34,  41,  46,  48,  66 
Mahde.  the.  162 
Medicine,    Western,  in   Persia, 

51.  5^ 

Meshed-e-sair,  147 

Meshed.  150 

Mint.  Persian,  iio 

Mirza,  different  meanings  of, 
182 

Missions.  American  centres, 
216,  238,  239;  English  cen- 
tres. 216;  medical,  2'6;  in- 
fluence of.  216.  217;  medical 
mission  methods,  219.  220, 
221,  232;  need  of,  218;  atti- 
tude of  Europeans  toward, 
230;  purposes  of  medical 
work.  233.  234.  235-6;  edu- 
cational work,  238,  239 


Mohammed  AH  Shah,  present 
ruler,  age,  320;  coronation, 
320;  first  year,  attempt  on 
life  c*.  326 

Mohammedans  interested  in 
hospitals,  12 

Mohammedans,  sects.  155;  ec- 
clesiastics, 161 ;  attitude  to- 
ward Armenians,  171 ;  to- 
ward Jews,  171 :  toward  Eu- 
ropeans. 170;  Literalists, 
167;  influence  of  priests.  333 

Mohammedanism,  vitality  of, 
15s;  duties  of,  156;  practices 
of,  169,  170 

Moharram,  month  of,  156 

Mosul.  27.  42.  43 

Mourning,  month  of.  156 

Muzaffar-ed-Din  Shah,  inau- 
guration. 307 ;  trips  to  Eu- 
rope, 310;  illness  and  death, 
318 

Nahum.  home  of,  46,  47 

Naus.  M..  7)22 

Needs  of  Persia,  340 

Neligan,  Dr.,  289 

Nestorians,  Mountain.  17; 
founding  of  mission  to.  2T, 
war  with  Kurds.  27;  their 
missionary  labours  in  China, 

17 

Newspapers   in    Teheran,   334, 

335 
New  Year,  214 
Nineveh,  45.  46,  47 
Nisibis,  21,  48,  65 

Oath,  276 

Odling,  Dr.  T.  P..  288 
Oriental  politeness,  31,  36,  154 
Orontes  River,  32 

Parsees,  173,  174.   I7S.  176 

Pera  bazaar,  75 

Persia,  population  of  255; 
trade,  255;  climate.  257.  in- 
dustries, J58;  silk  culture, 
76,  262;  mines  in,  265;  opium 


848 


INDEX 


ctilttire.  363;  fisheries,  262: 
dentists  in,  366;  laws  of, 
373;  government,  form  of, 
279;  ministry,  289;  postal 
system,  294;  telegraph,  295; 
education  in,  295;  army, 
296,  333;  taxes,  298 

Pensions,  290 

Petroleum,  found  in  Persia, 
268 

Phenomenon,  natural,  in  Mes- 
opotamia, 20 

Pilffrims,  73,  113 

Pilgrimages,  158.  159 

Politics,  missionaries  eschew, 
246 

Prime  Minister,  298,  324 

Quarantine,  on  Caspian,  72; 
on  Zab,  41 

Rabino,  Mr.  Joseph.  271 

Railroads,  extent  of,  in  Persia, 
10,  112;  need  of.  338 

Ramazan,  month  of,  160 

Ravandooz,  60 

Rhages  or  Rhci.  83.  m 

Reforms,  political,  330-341 

Ref(<rms,  social,  236 

Resht  or  Rescht,  description 
of,  75,  76;  American  Mis- 
sion at,  76:  to  Teheran,  77 

Rebellion   near   Hamadan,  323 

Roads,  wagon,  339 

Rugs,  131,  132.  260 

Sadowsky.  Dr..  228 

Safar.  month  of.  158 

Salmas,  route  to,  123 

Sarce.   147 

Sayids.  159 

Schools,  97,  17s,  238,  239,  240, 

241 
Schneider,  Dr..  287 
Scott,  Dr.  Joseph,  288 
Shah.   281,   282,   285;   visit  to 

mission.  291 
Shah-Ab<lul-A2im,  10,  III 
Shiraz,  150 


Sickness,  19Q 

Slaves,  283,  2S4 

Spelling,   Persian  names,   II 

Sultanabad,  131 

Suj  Bulak,  125 

Supna,  district  of,  48 

Surk  Hizar,  141 

Straus,  Mr.,  131,  13a 

Tabriz,  origin  of  name,  iig; 
language,  120;  bazaars,  120; 
residence  of  Crown  Prince, 
131 ;  social  life  at,  132;  U.  S. 
Consul  at,  122:  route  from 
Tiflis,  40,  123,  158 

Tariff  laws,  278 

Teheran.  population,  83; 
founding.  83;  growth,  84; 
bazaars.  84 ;  shopping  in,  84 ; 
graft,  85;  citadel.  93;  pal- 
ace. 96;  American  Mission 
at.  99;  Roman  and  Greek 
missions  at,  99;  American 
Hospital,  99 ;  government 
of,  100;  climate,  102;  water 
supply,  218;   from  America, 

72 

Telegraph,  Indo-European,  80, 
98 

Tholozon,  Dr.,  286 

Tigris,  escape  of  Nestorians 
via,  21,  29;  navigation  on, 
44;  author's  journey  down, 
44;  bridge  of  boats,  46 

Time,  system  used  in  Persia, 
88 

T'Khoma,  robbery  in,  35 

Tobacco,  common  use  of,  51, 
186.  332 

Tobacco,  Imperial,  Corpora- 
tion, 331 

Tokat,  150 

Topography,  influence  on  peo- 
ple, 140.  152 

Torrence,  Dr.,  248 

Trebizond.  route  via,  10 

Transportation,    193 

Turco-Persian  frontier,  46 


INDEX 


S49 


UnilH  Slatf*.  diplomatic  rela- 

tiiin<    with,    246,    348.  381 ; 

no    extradition    treaty.  277; 

American  ministers  in  Te- 
heran, 30s,  306 

Urumia,  a8,  40,  123-4-5,  ai6, 
238 

Vanneman.  Dr.,  346 
Van,  Turkey,  63 

Weights  and  measures,  system 

of,  368,  369 
Wishard.  Rertha  A..   105 
Wishard.  Fred  B..  lOS 
Wishard,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  D., 

60 


Wives,  number  of  legal,  311 
Women,   first  hospital   in  Te- 
heran, 13 
Woosfer,  Ohio,  IJ 
Wooster,  University  of,  13 

Xenophon.  among  Kurds,  17 
Xerxes,  136 

Yeridces    or    Devil    Worship- 
pers, 48 

Zab  River,  our  camp  on,  41 
Zergendie,  village  of,  103 
Ziegler  agency,  131 
Zoroastrianism,  315 


